Journey to the West (1986 TV series)

Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the classic 16th-century novel of the same title. The first 11 episodes of the series were first broadcast on CCTV in China on 1 October 1986. The series became an instant classic in China and was praised for being one of the most original and faithful interpretations. The series was budgeted for 30 episodes, due to budgetairy reasons, five of the planned episodes were left out. The screenplay for these left out episodes was rewritten and lengthened. Also some more portions of the original novel were covered in the second season, which was released in 1999. CCTV released the entire series online on YouTube as an edited version (all episodes are 45 minutes long) with English subtitles. The second season starts in the edited version with the capture of the Tang Monk (footage of the original episode 3). After that the edited version follows the original order. However, episode 5 Meeting immortals at Peacock Platform of the second season was deleted and parts of the content were integrated into the fourth episode Obstacle at Lion Camel Ridge making a total of 40 episodes instead of the original 41.

Season 1
Season 1 has 25 episodes and covers 74 chapters of the novel. The first trial episode was aired on 1 October 1986, and filming lasted until 1987. It was aired as a whole series in 1988. With the limited but relatively new special effects, the series received a viewership rate of 89.4% in 1987. The series has been rebroadcast every year since then. As of 2012, the series has been repeated on Chinese local channels more than 2,000 times.

Season 2
Due to budgetary issues, five of the initially planned episodes were not filmed:
 * 1) Dangerous crossing at Heaven Reaching River (险渡通天河), covering chapters 47-49
 * 2) Capturing the Azure Bull Demon (收伏青牛怪), covering chapters 50-52
 * 3) The real and fake Monkey King (真假美猴王), covering chapters 56-58
 * 4) Obstacle at Lion Camel Ridge (遇阻狮驼岭), covering chapters 74-77
 * 5) Rescuing children in a city (救难小儿城), covering chapters 78-79

For season 2, the screenplay of these five episodes was rewritten into 16 episodes (covers another 25 chapters of the novel). Filming began in 1998 and finished in 1999. It was broadcast on CCTV in 2000. The internal story of the second season has the four protagonists relating to Emperor Taizong of Tang via flashbacks of their travels and adventures, (namely those episodes not depicted in the first series) upon their return to China. Season 2 differs from the format of the first season, as most episodes end on a cliffhanger, with conflicts being resolved and new ones encountered in the middle of episodes in a more fluid timeline.

Cast

 * Some of the actors played multiple roles while certain roles were played by multiple actors

Main cast

 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong
 * Wang Yue (episodes 6, 9, 10), Xu Shaohua (episodes 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14-16), Chi Chongrui (episodes 13, 17-25) as Tang Sanzang
 * Ma Dehua as Zhu Bajie
 * Yan Huaili as Sha Wujing

Other cast

 * Listed in order of appearance


 * Guan Yunjie as Puti Zhushi
 * Xiang Han as Horse Monkey
 * Ma Dehua as White Haired Monkey
 * Xiong Ni as Monkey
 * Zhang Yushan as Jade Emperor
 * Yan Huaili as Thousand Li Eye
 * Xiang Han as Wind Following Ear
 * Li Yonggui as Old shopkeeper
 * Li Lianyi as Official
 * Wang Zhongxin as Taibai Jinxing
 * Wang Yuli as Li Jing
 * Xiang Han as Fishmonger
 * Yan Huaili as Old man
 * Bai Chunxiang as Servant boy
 * Li Xijing as Dragon King of the East Sea
 * Liu Jiang as King Yama
 * Wang Zhishan as Wuqu Xingjun
 * Lin Zhiqian as Demon King of Chaos
 * Han Shanxu as Single Horned Devil King
 * Yan Huaili, Wang Futang as Bull Demon King
 * Qian Yongkang as Juling Shen
 * Yan Huaili as Official
 * Zhang Jidie as Official
 * Xiang Han and Li Jiancheng as Black and White Guards of Impermanence
 * Ai Jinmei, Yang Bin as Nezha
 * Zheng Rong, Yan Huaili as Taishang Laojun
 * Lin Zhiqian as Erlang Shen
 * Zhu Bingqian as Taiyi Zhenren
 * Zuo Dabin as Guanyin
 * Guo Wei, Ren Fengpo as Lingji Bodhisattva
 * Zhao Quan, Ye Yimeng as Manjusri
 * Chi Zhaopeng, Guo Wei, Jin Genxu as Samantabhadra
 * An Yunwu, Li Runsheng and Yang Yuzhang as Fu Lu Shou
 * Wu Guiling as Immortal Zhenyuan
 * Kong Rui, Xiang Han as Earth Deity
 * Wang Xueqin, Zhang Yanyan as Seventh Fairy
 * Zhang Jingdi as Immortal Crane
 * Wan Fuxiang as Queen Mother of the West
 * Han Shanxu, Jin Genxu as Barefoot Immortal
 * Xu Qing as Red Dress Boy
 * Xiang Han as Ananda
 * Li Jiancheng as Mahākāśyapa
 * Ma Ling as Dancing fairy
 * Zhang Zhiming as Emperor Taizong of Tang
 * Guo Jiaqing as Guanyin's incarnation
 * Xu Shaohua as Chen Guangrui
 * Ma Lan as Miss Yin
 * Han Shanxu as Liu Hong
 * Li Jiancheng as Teahouse keeper
 * Zhu Longguang as Buddha
 * Qiu Peining as Chang'e
 * Wang Bozhao as White Dragon Horse
 * Yan Huaili as Dragon King of the West Sea
 * Li Longbin, Yu Weijie as Nine Headed Bug
 * Han Shanxu as Old man
 * He Yi as Boy
 * Xu Chuan as Liu Boqin
 * Xiang Han, Ma Dehua, Yang Bin, He Yi, Li Runsheng, Li Lianyi as robbers
 * Cheng Zhi as Jinchi Elder
 * Li Yonggui as Monk Guangzhi
 * Xiang Han as Black Wind Demon
 * Lin Zhiqian as Virapaksa
 * Cheng Weibing as Lingxuzi
 * Kong Rui as Squire Gao
 * Gao Yuqian as Mrs Gao


 * Wei Huili as Squire Gao's daughter
 * Xiang Han as Gao Cai
 * Zhang Jidie as Dibao
 * Xiang Ling as Maid
 * Sun Fengqin as Lishan Laomu
 * Guo Jiaqing as Yellow Wind Demon
 * Shen Huifen as Zhenzhen
 * Yang Fengyi as Ai'ai
 * He Jing as Lianlian
 * Ren Fengpo as Lingji Bodhisattva
 * Yang Bin as Muzha
 * Xu Ye as Fairy
 * Zhang Jidie as Tiger Vanguard
 * Wang Yang as Qingfeng
 * Cai Lin as Mingyue
 * Yang Qingxia as White Bone Demoness
 * Huang Fei as Old man
 * Liu Huimin as Old woman
 * Yang Jun as Village woman
 * Li Hongchang as Black Fox Demon
 * Li Lianyi as Skeleton Demon
 * Ren Fengpo as Yellow Robe Demon
 * Gu Lan as King of Baoxiang
 * Liu Bing as Baihuaxiu
 * Han Fengxia, Li Hongchang as Black Fox Demon
 * Yang Shubiao as Yellow Robe Demon (transformation)
 * Ren Wenjian as White Dragon Horse (transformation)
 * Yang Shubiao as Wood Wolf of Legs
 * Che Xiaotong as Golden Horned King
 * Guo Shouyang as Silver Horned King
 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Priest
 * Li Jiancheng as Meticulous Devil
 * Ji Fuji as Intelligent Bug
 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Nine Tailed Vixen
 * Ma Dehua as Mountain Deity
 * Lei Ming as King of Wuji
 * Xiang Mei as Queen of Wuji
 * Wang Haining as Crown prince of Wuji
 * Zhao Guangshan as Monk
 * Chi Chongrui as Dragon King of the well
 * Teng Teng as Servant boy
 * Dong Honglin as Evil priest
 * Li Jiancheng as Eunuch
 * Zhao Xinpei as Red Boy
 * Xiang Han and Xu Tinglei as Earth deities
 * Li Jiancheng, Li Anjian, Zhang Ziyue as Mountain deities
 * Xu Shaohua as Dragon King
 * Zhao Yuxiu as King of Chechi
 * Zhao Lirong as Queen of Chechi
 * Liu Qin as Tiger Power Immortal
 * Zeng Ge as Deer Power Immortal
 * Cai Yuge as Antelope Power Immortal
 * Jin Genxu and Xu Tinglei as Priests
 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Yunshui Quanzhen
 * Zhu Lin as Ruler of Women's Kingdom
 * Yang Guixiang as Royal Adviser of Women's Kingdom
 * Li Yunjuan as Pipa Lady
 * Wang Delin as Immortal Ruyi
 * Xu Guanchun as Sun Rooster of Hairy Head
 * Wang Fengxia as Princess Iron Fan
 * Zheng Yiping as Jade Faced Vixen
 * Ji You as Earth deity
 * Zhang Qing as Princess of Jisai


 * Zhao Baocai as Dragon King
 * Jin Gang as King of Jisai
 * Li Fengchun as Old monk
 * Li Zhiyi as Old abbot
 * Tian Jiangshui, Bai Jiancai and Gao Jifeng as Monks
 * Li Jiancheng as Benbo'erba
 * Gao Baozhong as Babo'erben
 * Ma Dehua, Yu Hong as Ambassadors
 * Cao Duo as Yellow Brows Great King
 * Wang Linghua as Almond Immortal (Apricot Fairy)
 * Tie Niu as Maitreya
 * Cao Duo as Guzhi Gong
 * Ye Bing as Jinjie Shiba Gong
 * Li Tiefeng as Fuyun Sou
 * Ye Yimeng as Lingkongzi
 * Tie Niu as Kangua Laoren
 * Li Jinshui as Ghost messenger
 * Gong Ming as King of Zhuzi
 * Zhan Pingping as Lady of Jinsheng Palace
 * Wang Ren as Tai Sui Equivalent
 * Zhou Caili as Youlai Youqu
 * Shi Chongren as Old eunuch
 * Han Tao as Immortal Ziyang
 * Ni Fuquan as Physician
 * Li Jianliang as Minister
 * Yao Jia as First Spider Demoness
 * Liu Qian as Second Spider Demoness
 * Du Xianghui as Third Spider Demoness
 * Yang Su as Fourth Spider Demoness
 * Azhi Shima as Fifth Spider Demoness
 * Lü Haiyu as Sixth Spider Demoness
 * Liu Lin as Seventh Spider Demoness
 * Li Hongchang as Hundred Eyed Demon Lord
 * Yang Qimin as Pilanpo Bodhisattva
 * Li Enqi as Lishan Laomu incarnation
 * Yang Bin as Priest
 * Chang Qing as Albino rat
 * Wang Jie and Li Zhixiong as Monks
 * Wu Tang as Supervisor
 * Yu Xuemei and Jiang Xiuhua as Demon girls
 * Nige Mutu as King of Yuhua
 * Zhang Yang as First Prince of Yuhua
 * Ye Yimeng as Second Prince of Yuhua
 * Yang Bin as Third Prince of Yuhua
 * Gong Ming as Wang Xiao'er
 * Qu Yinglian as Wang Xiao'er's wife
 * Chen Qingping as Zhao's mother
 * Yang Yumin as Queen
 * Xiang Han as Tawny Lion Demon
 * Li Jiancheng as Nine Headed Lion
 * Sha Jie as Diaozhuan Guguai
 * He Yi as Guguai Diaozhuan
 * Zhu Bingqian as Taiyi Zhenren
 * Xiang Han and Li Hongchang as Merchants
 * Li Lingyu as Jade Rabbit
 * Wang Tong as King of India
 * Ren Fengpo as Old monk
 * Yu Hong as Queen of India
 * Wang Xizhong as Golden Peak Immortal
 * Li Hongchang as Boatman
 * He Chengfu as Long Brows Arhat
 * Li Yang as Dapeng Zunzhe

Main cast

 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong
 * Xu Shaohua, Chi Chongrui as Tang Sanzang
 * Cui Jingfu as Zhu Bajie
 * Liu Dagang as Sha Wujing

Other cast

 * Listed in order of appearance


 * Zhang Zhiming as Emperor Taizong of Tang
 * Zheng Rong as Taishang Laojun
 * Liu Jiang as King Yama
 * Zhu Longguang as Buddha
 * Wang Zhongxin as Taibai Jinxing
 * Zhang Wankun as Chen Qing
 * Zhang Wenhui as Chen Qing's wife
 * Li Qingyou as Housekeeper
 * Liu Lifeng as Xiaoguanbao
 * Hou Lei as Yipengjin
 * Wang Limin as King of Spiritual Touch
 * Ji Yu as Fish Woman
 * Lan Faqing as Great White Turtle
 * Zhang Fen as Muzha
 * Zhang Ziqiang as Old man
 * Zhang Xueqin as Old man's wife
 * Guan Xiaoyu as Old man's son
 * Yang Xingyi as Old man's daughter-in-law
 * Jiang Baohong as Chief robber
 * Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Six-Eared Macaque
 * Jiang Hongbao as Horse Monkey
 * Wang Weiguo as Jade Emperor
 * Cui Jingfu, Wu Zhiyong as Dragon King of the East Sea
 * Liu Dagang as Diting
 * Jia Shitou as Azure Lion King
 * Wang Weiguo as Yellow Toothed Elephant
 * Guo Jun as Golden Winged Great Peng
 * Jin Qiaoqiao as peacock princess
 * Lan Jiafu as Xiaozhuanfeng
 * Zhu Dan as Xique


 * Liu Dagang as Dragon King of the North Sea
 * An Yaping as Water Dragon
 * Yang Jing as Princess of Black River
 * Cao Rong as Crown Prince Mo'ang
 * Li Hongtao as Dragon King of Jing River
 * Zhou Zheng as Yuan Shoucheng
 * Chi Guodong as Dragon King of the West Sea
 * Li Hongchang as Fisherman
 * Ge Zhixing as Deity of Black River
 * Ni Fuquan as Earth Deity of Mount Golden Bull
 * Li Hongtao as Rhinoceros King
 * Chen Zhongsheng as Li Jing
 * Zhu Qin, Wang Wei as Nezha
 * Ding Jian as Fire Star
 * Ma Yongzeng as Water Star
 * Wang Hui, Zhang Wei, Zhao Shunzeng and Sun Jifeng as Four Heavenly Masters
 * Wen Xiang as Servant boy
 * Tan Feiling as Marquis of Fengxian
 * Ni Fuquan as Earth Deity of Fengxian
 * Jin Liuyi as Old man from Fengxian
 * Di Yuerong as Wife of Marquis of Fengxian
 * Wu Suying as Village woman from Fengxian
 * Xue Yongliang as Man from Fengxian
 * Sha Lin as Wind Deity
 * Zhang Dandan as Lightning Deity
 * Yang Zichun as Old man Li
 * Xue Chunyu as Old man Li's wife
 * Zhang Pingsheng as Old man Li's son
 * Bo Hong as Red Scaled Python
 * Zheng Ying as Woodcutter's wife


 * Wu Zhiyong as Leopard Demon
 * Lan Faqing as Wolf Demon
 * Yu Wanling as Old woman
 * Li Hongchang as Official from the Kingdom of Biqiu
 * Wang Ying as King of Biqiu
 * Yu Meng as Vixen spirit
 * Liu Jin as Deer Spirit
 * Qiu Yongli as Evil priest
 * Xu Jiansheng as Guard from the Kingdom of Biqiu
 * Cai Guangqing as Squire Kou
 * Wang Meihong as Second Madam
 * Wang Xia as Zhu Liya
 * Shu Xin as Wosi
 * Chen Jian as Housekeeper
 * Zhang Kunwu as Hui'er
 * Huang Zongluo as Official of Tongtai
 * Li Xiaobo as Civil official
 * Zhong Changde as Abbot of Jinping
 * Chen Dazhong as King of Cold Protection
 * Zhao Yi as King of Heat Protection
 * Cai Yuge as King of Dust Protection
 * Liu Dan as Dragon Girl of the West Sea
 * Lan Faqing as Wood Dragon of Horn
 * Jiang Baohong as Wood Insect of Dipper
 * Xu Jiansheng as Wood Wolf of Legs
 * Li Canwen as Wood Dog of Well

Soundtrack
The music for the series was mainly composed by Xu Jingqing (许镜清). It use of the combination of traditional Chinese instruments with Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and electronic drum, its genre is a mixture between Chinese traditional music, Electronic music, and Orchestral song, making them one of the first electronic music compositions aired on the Mainland China mainstream media. The use of electric music that was perceived as "Western" and "modern" in the "traditional Chinese story" was the issue of debate at the time.

Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West
The original lead actors of Journey to the West (1986) — Liu Xiao Ling Tong, Chi Chongrui and Ma Dehua — reprised their roles in Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West, a 2010 television series about Wu Cheng'en and his inspiration for writing the novel Journey to the West. Sha Wujing, however, was portrayed by Liu Dagang because Yan Huaili, who played the character in 1986, died in April 2009.