WU CH'ENG-EN

born c. 1500, , Shan-yang, Huai-an, now in Kiangsu province, China died c. 1582, , Kiangsu Pinyin Wu Chengen novelist and poet of the Ming dynasty (13681644), generally acknowledged as the author of the Chinese folk novel Hsi-yu chi (partial Eng. trans., Monkey, 1942). Wu received a traditional Confucian education and became known for his clever composition of poetry and prose in the classical style. Throughout his life he displayed a marked interest in bizarre stories, such as the set of oral and written folktales that formed the basis of Hsi-yu chi, first published in 1592, 10 years after Wu's death. In its 100 chapters Hsi-yu chi details the adventures of a cunningly resourceful monkey who accompanies the Buddhist priest Hsan-tsang on a journey to India. Like all novels of its time, Hsi-yu chi was written in the vernacular, as opposed to the officially accepted classical style, and therefore had to be published anonymously to protect the author's reputation. As a result, the identity of the novelist was long unknown outside of Wu's native district. Only two volumes of Wu's other writings have survived. These two works were discovered in the imperial palaces and were reprinted in 1930.