The Four Journeys
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The Four Journeys
The ''Four Journeys'' () is a collection of four shenmo novels that were published during the Ming dynasty Wanli era, and they consist of ''Journey to the North'', ''Journey to the South'', ''Journey to the East'', and ''Journey to the West''. *'' Journey to the North'' () was composed by Yu Xiangdou. *'' Journey to the South'' () was composed by Yu Xiangdou. *''Journey to the East'' () was composed by Wu Yuan-tai ( 吳元泰, 1522–1526). *''Journey to the West'' () is composed by Yang Zhihe ( 楊致和).Yang Zhihe's novel is based on the same subject as, but distinct from, Wu Cheng'en's epic novel ''Journey to the West''. References Bibliography *Gary Seaman (tr.): ''Journey to the North''. University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
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Shenmo
Gods and demons fiction or Shenmo fiction () is a subgenre of Chinese fantasy fiction that revolves around the deities, immortals, demons and monsters of Chinese mythology. The term ''shenmo xiaoshuo'', coined in the early 20th century by the writer and literary historian Lu Xun, literally means "gods and demons novel". Representative works of ''shenmo'' fiction include the novels ''Journey to the West'' and ''Investiture of the Gods''. History ''Shenmo'' first appeared in the Ming dynasty as a genre of vernacular fiction, a style of writing based on spoken Chinese rather than Classical Chinese. The roots of the genre are found in traditional folktales and legends. Plot elements like the use of magic and alchemy were derived from Chinese mythology and religion, including Taoism and Buddhism, popular among Ming intellectuals. '' The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt'' (, ) is an early gods and demons novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. In the story, Wang Ze begins a reb ...
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Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, the majority ethnic group in China. Although the primary capital of Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the short-lived Shun dynasty), numerous rump state, rump regimes ruled by remnants of the House of Zhu, Ming imperial family, collectively called the Southern Ming, survived until 1662. The Ming dynasty's founder, the Hongwu Emperor (1368–1398), attempted to create a society of self-sufficient rural communities ordered in a rigid, immobile system that would guarantee and support a permanent class of soldiers for his dynasty: the empire's standing army exceeded one million troops and the naval history of China, navy's dockyards in Nanjing were the largest in the world. H ...
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Wanli (era)
The Wanli Emperor (4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shenzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Yijun, art name Yuzhai, was the 14th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1572 to 1620. He succeeded his father, the Longqing Emperor. His reign of 48 years was the longest among all the Ming dynasty emperors. The Wanli Emperor ascended the throne at the age of nine. During the first ten years of his reign, the young emperor was assisted and effectively led by Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, a skilled administrator. With the support of the emperor's mother, Lady Li, and the imperial eunuchs led by Feng Bao, the country experienced economic and military prosperity, reaching a level of power not seen since the early 15th century. The emperor held great respect and appreciation for Zhang Juzheng. However, as time passed, various factions within the government openly opposed Zhang, causing his influential position in the government and at cour ...
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Journey To The North
''Journey to the North'' ( zh, c= ) is a 1602 Chinese ''shenmo'' novel by Yu Xiangdou ( zh, c=余象斗; died 1637). The book is considered to be one of the Four Journeys. The protagonist is the god Zhenwu Xuanwu () or Xuandi (), also known as Zhenwu (, ) or Zhenwu Dadi (, ), is a revered deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magi .... The book centers on the re-births of Zhen Wu, who is the Perfected Warrior, who taught the immortal Zhang Sanfeng the art of Taijiquan. English translation * References 17th-century Chinese novels Ming dynasty novels Shenmo novels {{17thC-novel-stub ...
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Yu Xiangdou
Yu Xiangdou (; ) was a Chinese writer, editor, and publisher active during the late Ming dynasty. He took over the leadership of his family's printing conglomerate in Jianyang, Fujian after repeatedly failing the imperial examination, and was known for including portraits of himself in his publications. Career Yu's family had been in the publishing industry since as early as the twelfth century. At the time of Yu's birth around 1560, his family owned the largest printing conglomerate in Jianyang, Fujian, which comprised some thirty independent publishing houses. In 1591, after failing the imperial examination multiple times, Yu began running the family business. Yu edited and published at least seventy titles, including the Four Books and Five Classics, two collections of fictional Taoist writing, three collections of ''gong'an'' (court-case) stories, and two or three editions of ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''. By his own account, Yu also published "a treatise on poetry, ...
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Journey To The South
The ''Huaguang Tianwang Nanyou zhizhuan'' (), usually referred to as the ''Nanyou ji'' () or ''Journey to the South'', is a Chinese novel by Yu Xiangdou. First published in the seventeenth century during the Ming dynasty, it tells the story of the celestial being Huaguang Dadi, Huaguang, who is Reincarnation, reincarnated three times as a result of his transgressions. It was later included in the anthology ''Four Journeys''. Plot Originally the flame produced by an oil lamp, Huaguang Dadi, Huaguang () is transformed by the Buddha into a fire deity. Sometime later, a demon known as Single Fire Great King gatecrashes a vegetarian feast at Vulture Peak, causing the Buddha's congregation to panic. Huaguang burns the demon to death. Alarmed by his cruelty, the Buddha decrees that he has to be reborn. Huaguang is first reincarnated as the son of the Goddess of the Horse-Ear Mountain, whose husband has been slain by the Dragon King. She names her son Three-Eyed Divine Radiance since he ...
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Wu Yuan-tai
Wu may refer to: Places * Wu (region) (), a region roughly corresponding to the territory of Wuyue ** Wu Chinese (), a subgroup of Chinese languages now spoken in the Wu region ** Wuyue culture (), a regional Chinese culture in the Wu region *Wu (state) (; ), a kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period 771–476 BCE ** Suzhou or Wu (), its eponymous capital ** Wu County (), a former county in Suzhou * Eastern Wu () or Sun Wu (), one of the Three Kingdoms in 184/220–280 CE * Li Zitong (, died 622), who declared a brief Wu dynasty during the Sui–Tang interregnum in 619–620 CE * Wu (Ten Kingdoms) (), one of the ten kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period 907–960 CE * Wuyue (), another of the ten kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period 907–960 CE * Wu River (other), various rivers in China Language * Wu Chinese, a group of Sinitic languages that includes Shanghaiese People * Wu (surname) (or Woo) (吳), several different Chi ...
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Wu Cheng'en
Wu Cheng'en (, c. 1500–1582Shi Changyu (1999). "Introduction." in trans. W.J.F. Jenner, ''Journey to the West'', volume 1. Seventh Edition. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. pp. 1–22. or 1505–1580), courtesy name Ruzhong (), was a Chinese novelist, poet, and politician during the Ming dynasty. He is considered by many to be the author of ''Journey to the West'', one of the Classic Chinese Novels. Biography Wu was born in Lianshui, Jiangsu province, and later moved to Huai'an. Wu's father, Wu Rui, had a good primary education and "shown an aptitude for study", but ultimately spent his life as an artisan because of his family's financial difficulties. Nevertheless, Wu Rui continued to "devote himself to literary pursuits", and as a child, Wu acquired the same enthusiasm for literature—including classical literature, popular stories, and anecdotes. He took the imperial examinations several times in attempt to become a mandarin, or imperial official, but never passed, ...
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Journey To The West
''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. It was widely known in English-speaking countries through the British scholar Arthur Waley's 1942 abridged translation ''Monkey (novel), Monkey''. The novel is a fictionalized and fantasy, fantastic account of the pilgrimage of the Chinese Buddhism, Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who went on a 16-year journey to India in the 7th century AD to seek out and collect Buddhist scriptures (sūtras). The novel retains the broad outline of Xuanzang's own account, ''Great Tang Records on the Western Regions'', but embellishes it with fantasy elements from folk tales and the author's invention. In the story, it deals entirely with the earlier exploits of Sun Wukong, a monkey born on Mount Huaguo, Flower Fruit Mount ...
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University Of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868. As the publishing arm of the University of California system, the press publishes over 250 new books and almost four dozen multi-issue journals annually, in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and maintains approximately 4,000 book titles in print. It is also the digital publisher of Collabra and Luminos open access (OA) initiatives. The press has its administrative office in downtown Oakland, California, an editorial branch office in Los Angeles, and a sales office in New York City, New York, and distributes through marketing offices in Great Britain, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. A Board consisting of senior officers of the University of Cali ...
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