Liu Xiao Ling Tong: Journey to Immortality
April 8, 2014: Liu Xiao Ling Tong mimics the various expressions of the Monkey King during a speech in Beijing. CFP
A scene from the TV production Journey to the West. Adapted from the classical novel of the same title, the series became an instant classic in China and is still praised as the best and most authentic interpretation of the novel.FotoeEarly this February, just before the arrival of Spring Festival and the Year of Monkey, sensational rumors gripped the internet: A report alleged that a Spring Festival gala performance by Liu Xiao Ling Tong, best known as the Monkey King in the iconic 1986 Chinese TV adaptation of 16th-Century novel Journey to the West, was cancelled. The actor eventually explained that he was never invited to perform at the gala in the first place, but the flood of disappointed sentiments ignited a revival of interest in the Monkey King.
Many declared that the inclusion of Liu Xiao Ling Tong should have been a nobrainer for planners of the Spring Festival Gala heralding the Year of Monkey. And to many Chinese people, the actor is more than just an artist who once portrayed the Monkey King – he is the legendary figure.
A Destined Road
Nearly three decades ago, a television adaptation of Journey to the West produced by China Central Television graced almost every screen in China. One of China’s four great classical novels, considered the pinnacle of pre-modern Chinese fiction, Journey to the West was written in the 16th Century. Although the central figure of the novel is actually Tang Dynasty (618-907) Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled to today’s Central Asia and India to retrieve sacred Buddhist texts, many readers feel like the heroic Monkey King, one of Xuanzang’s three protective disciples, is the real protagonist of the novel. Collateral evidence supports this sentiment: Arthur Waley’s popular 1942 abridged translation was titled Monkey: A Folk-Tale of China.
Liu Xiao Ling Tong brought Monkey King to life in the 1986 production, a role he won thanks to a perfect combination of destiny and luck: Born Zhang Jinlai, Liu Xiao Ling Tong was born into a renowned artistic family from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. For four generations, every male in the family received specialized training to play the Monkey King on stage. His great-grandfather’s portrayal was dubbed “better than the real monkey.” His father, a veteran opera performer known as China’s “Southern Monkey King,” received raves from Chinese leaders including Chairman Mao Zedong. Liu Xiao Ling Tong naturally began studying the character at a young age, but he never expected to take over for his father – because he is the youngest of 11 children.
His father’s first choice to inherit the role was his second son who, according to Liu Xiao Ling Tong in his autobiography, possessed “natural talent for playing the Monkey King, making him the most suitable successor to my father.” Unfortunately, however, his brother died of leukemia at age 17. Another older brother who also trained for the role passed away from an intestinal disease. “Everyone in our family got a little scared,” revealed Liu Xiao Ling Tong in an interview. “Was the Monkey King role cursed, or unfit for mere mortals?”
Although destiny played a major role in terms of bringing the actor to the role, Liu Xiao Ling Tong was already logging practice hours even before the second brother’s death. He learned martial arts from his father, but also learned directly from monkeys. At one point, he was raising more than 20 monkeys in his home. “After spending more time with monkeys than with people, I was perfect for the role,” he quips.
His “Only” Role
After graduating from high school, Liu Xiao Ling Tong was admitted to drama school, where he inserted his monkey performance into a wide array of dramas. When plans for a TV adaptation of Journey to the West emerged, the 23-year-old won the coveted role.
The Monkey King depicted in the original novel is exquisite, impish, and rebellious. He possesses immense strength and can transform into 72 different animals and objects as well as casting spells and using magic. The monkey is as popular in China as Mickey Mouse in the U.S., but with a longer history and stronger cultural connotations. “Producers believed that Monkey King would be deciding factor in the success of the TV series,” reveals the actor. “If viewers liked other characters more, the series would have been considered a failure.”
The 25-episode series took a total of six years to shoot, and it was first broadcast in early 1986. As soon as it hit the air, the show was a hit. According to a survey from HunanTV.com, the series averaged a ratings share of 87.4 percent in 1987. Re-runs can be found on Chinese TV to this day. And despite the fact that Liu Xiao Ling Tong has been cast in many roles since, some comparably well known in China, people still know him as the Monkey King.
Roles as iconic as the Monkey King, which remains a household name everywhere in China, can make or break an actor’s career. Some actors pass on such risky roles, but Liu Xiao Ling Tong was happy to make the Monkey King his life’s work. “The Monkey King represents the wisdom of the Chinese people,” the actor has stressed on many occasions. For him, the immortality of the Monkey King evidences a grassroots hero’s success after a lifetime of perseverance and personal struggle.
Promoting Journey to the West Culture
Today, Liu Xiao Ling Tong has embarked on a new mission to spread Journey to the West culture both in China and abroad. He believes that story’s key themes of teamwork and optimism will easily resonate with millennials.
He has devoted all his resources towards this end. The ambitious actor has helped build two museums dedicated to Journey to the West and is brainstorming an amusement park. For years, he has been contemplating a movie version featuring an international cast and fusing traditional Chinese performance art with modern Western technology. In 2015, he began collaborating with Paramount Pictures on a China-Hollywood joint production based on the novel. Perhaps most impressively, he has lectured at more than 80 universities over the past a few years. “I am afraid that today’s young people will miss out on real Journey to the West culture,” he sighs. “Avoiding this is now my top priority, and I want to make sure future generation can experience the essence of the classical novel.”
He also noted that although the original novel is ripe for a variety of interpretations, a certain line must be drawn: Heroes should be clearly distinguished from monsters. “Heroes are heroes, and monsters are monsters. People should spend more time understanding the spirit and original themes of the Monkey King.”
Liu Xiao Ling Tong (left) had his face painted by his father in the 1990s. His father was also famously known as the “Southern Monkey King.” His father’s stage name, Liu Ling Tong, indicates that he was only six years old when he started performing. IC
A scene with Liu Xiao Ling Tong as the Monkey King in the TV series Wu Cheng’en and His Novel Journey to the West. Although the actor has been cast in many roles, he is primarily remembered as the Monkey King. CFP “I retraced Xuanzang’s steps through India,” he concludes. “He is an inspiration as a figure who devoted his entire life to a single endeavor: retrieving, translating and spreading Buddhist sutras. I hope to do the same with monkey culture. This is my life’s work.”
April 29, 2015: In-costume Liu Xiao Ling Tong (left) next to his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Beijing. CFP
April 3, 2016: Liu Xiao Ling Tong performs as Monkey King in Hangzhou. In recent years, he has been dedicated to spreading Journey to the West culture at both home and abroad. CFP