The Chinese literary classic Journey to the West, written by Ming dynasty author Wu Cheng’en, may be known for its battle scenes and action, but it is religious in nature.
One of the ideas behind the novel, which tells of a journey to the “Eastern Heaven” of India to find some Buddhist sutras, is to show that Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism can work together as a religious system.
Portions of the book have been adapted for television, film, comic books and even video games many times, including last year’s hugely popular game Black Myth: Wukong, with the wildly flamboyant and violent Monkey King usually being the focus of the story.
Most filmmakers pay lip service to the book’s philosophy while concentrating on the action.
Below, we look at some of the most high-profile Hong Kong film adaptations in the past three decades.
1. A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (both 1995)