1. Wu Chengen Author of: Monkey/ Journey to the West

2. Wu was born in 1506. He was born the city of Huaian, which would now be in the province of Jiangshu, China. He died in 1582 at 76 years old. Wu was a writer during the Ming Dynasty. Journey to the West was his most famous writing. The Chinese name for Journey to the West is: Hsi-yu Chi. It was published in 1592. Wu was born in 1506. He was born the city of Huaian, which would now be in the province of Jiangshu, China. He died in 1582 at 76 years old. Wu was a writer during the Ming Dynasty. Journey to the West was his most famous writing. The Chinese name for Journey to the West is: Hsi-yu Chi. It was published in 1592.

3. Another name he went by was Sheyang Hermit His father was a merchant and loved to read. He passed his skill in reading onto his son, Wu. He had a Confucian education and was a scholar at the Imperial University. Wu failed many civil service exams. However, at the age of 63, he was appointed post of Vice Magistrate in Changxing country.

4. After 2 years, he was thrown into prison on charges for corruption. Later, he was cleared of those charges and offered a job similar to his previous one. He rejected, wanting to dedicate the rest of his life to literature. Hsuan Tsangs pilgrimage was one thing that inspired Wu to write Journey to the West, which has 100 chapters. After 2 years, he was thrown into prison on charges for corruption. Later, he was cleared of those charges and offered a job similar to his previous one. He rejected, wanting to dedicate the rest of his life to literature. Hsuan Tsangs pilgrimage was one thing that inspired Wu to write Journey to the West, which has 100 chapters.

6. Tripitaka Character in Journey to the West/ Monkey

7. Surprisingly, Tripitaka was a real person. His name was Xuanzang. He was born in a whole different time period than Wu Chengen. His birth was during the Tang Dynasty, in 602. He learned under a classical Confucius education, but was later influenced by his Buddhist brother, who took care of him when his Dad died in 611, and interested him in Buddhism.

8. He became a Buddhist monk at age thirteen. Rather than the Emperor giving Tripitaka permission to leave on his pilgrimage to India like in the folk tale, the Emperor forbade Xuangzang to go to India, but he did it anyways. The pilgrimage took sixteen years. He became a Buddhist monk at age thirteen. Rather than the Emperor giving Tripitaka permission to leave on his pilgrimage to India like in the folk tale, the Emperor forbade Xuangzang to go to India, but he did it anyways. The pilgrimage took sixteen years.

9. While in India, he retrieved: Mahayanist sutras: 224 items Mahayanist sastras: 192 Sthavira sutras, sastras and Vinaya: 14 Mahasangika sutras, sastras and Vinaya: 15 Mahisasaka sutras, sastras and Vinaya: 22 Sammitiya sutras, sastras and Vinaya: 15 Kasyapiya sutras, sastra and Vinaya: 17 Dharmagupta sutras, Vinaya, sastras: 42 Sarvastivadin sutras, Vinaya, sastras: 67 Yin-lun (Treatises on the science of Inference): 36 Sheng-lun (Etymological treatises): 13

10. When he came back to China, he served as a translator for the texts, but only got done with a small portion. Wrote Da Tang Xi Yu Ji (Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty.) with the help of his friend Bianji, which also inspired Wu Chengen to write Journey to the West. When he came back to China, he served as a translator for the texts, but only got done with a small portion. Wrote Da Tang Xi Yu Ji (Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty.) with the help of his friend Bianji, which also inspired Wu Chengen to write Journey to the West.

12. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/92018.Wu_Cheng_en http://what-when-how.com/writers/wu-chengen-wu-cheng-en- writer/ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/649783/Wu-Chengen http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1063158/ http://www.evi.com/q/biography_of_wu_cheng'en http://www.vbtutor.net/xiyouji/origins.htm http://www.iep.utm.edu/xuanzang/ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Xuanzang_w.jpg