The Journey To The West Sparknotes

Emphasized through the Taoist idea of Wen, the cosmological importance of the Taoist body differentiates Wen from Wu. During the Zhou Dynasty, King Wu and King Wen relatively established power through the approaches of Wu and Wen. King Wu utilized violence to take over China, whereas, King Wen indirectly established rule by developing ritual, language, and order. As the founding figures of Chinese culture and civilization, King Wen and King Wu established this balance between Wen and Wu, which grounded the fundamental thoughts behind the art of martial arts. Taoists believe that Wen is not confined to the metaphysical body, meaning that even if one possesses the physical qualities of a martial arts master, the individual will not become one
Texts such as Journey to the West and Tales of the Marvelous all possess a majestic element and aspect to them. Thus, the Taoist representation of the human body’s alchemic potential can be derived through the supernatural portrayal of martial arts described these texts. In many stories, the Junzi, a man of virtue or a nobleman, is apparent. As a character, the Junzi himself works towards preserving Dao, and thus, highlights the importance of an individual’s ability to understand their inner potential. In the Journey to the West, a 16th-century Chinese novel, the Sun WuKong character illustrates the attainment of supernatural powers through the practice of Taoism. Sun WuKong, also commonly known as the monkey king, is translated to “awakened to emptiness.” Orkney to the West represents a pilgrimage and thus, a journey where characters including the Monkey King, undergo a transformation. Taoist influences within this novel exist through prominent symbols such as the peach of immortality (the longevity peach) and the monkey king’s compliant gold-hooped rod. In combination with the portrayal of the Sun WuKong character, these symbols add to the surreal image of martial arts within literature. Similarly, the magical elements of Taoism are also presented in Pei Xing’s Tales of the Marvelous. These Tales include the story of the Kuhun Slave and Nie Yinniang. The Kuhun Slave,
Films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Kung Fu Hustle depict the Taoist concept of Dao through a portrayal of a character’s internal journey to find internalized balance. In Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee utilizes martial arts as a grounding factor to offset a complex plot about dynamic relationships between Master Li, Yu Shu Lien, Jen, and Dark Cloud. Ang Lee employs Taoist characteristics to capture Jen’s transformation successfully, from a dragon to a dragon and a tiger. When she ultimately lets go of her inner Ego, Jen reaches a natural understanding of the holistic concept of Wen. In addition to philosophical Taoist characteristics, Ang Lee depicts the super-natural yet simplistic Taoism elements throughout the movie in scenes such as the bamboo forest scene. Moreover, there are many unlikely hero characters, like the coolie, in Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle. Chow highlights the importance of the Taoist Wen through individuals, who do not embody the Wu figure but embody the essential ideas behind Wen. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Kung Fu Hustle specifically highlight the teachings of martial arts through the internal school of Neijia. These films utilize both the supernatural and philosophical Taoist influences. As a sub-genre of action movies, the martial arts film industry has created a