孙悟空 (SūnWùkōng): Sun Wukong

Main character of Wu Cheng'en's (吴承恩) 16th-century novel Journey to the West (《西游记》). Born from a magic stone on Huaguo Mountain (花果山), he learns Daoist magic, wins the title 齐天大圣 ('Great Sage Equal to Heaven'), rebels against the Jade Emperor, is trapped under a mountain by Buddha for 500 years, and eventually accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang to India to retrieve Buddhist sutras.

usage

Also known as 齐天大圣 (the Great Sage), 美猴王 (Handsome Monkey King), and simply 悟空. The 1986 CCTV adaptation — with Liu Xiao Ling Tong (六小龄童) as Wukong — is the definitive version for mainland Chinese audiences.

In Pop Culture

孙悟空 Sūn Wùkōng

the Monkey King

Legendary character from Journey to the West (《西游记》), one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. Wields a magic staff (金箍棒), can transform into 72 forms, somersault 108,000 li in one bound. Referenced constantly in Chinese pop culture — the source inspiration for Son Goku in Dragon Ball, Dota 2's 'Monkey King' hero, and countless games, films, and cartoons.