Original Post: Journey to the West (Xi You Ji) - Complete 1986 Original TV Series
Chinese Title: 西遊記 (Xi You Ji)
Also Known As: Journey to the West; Monkey King
Genre: Chinese Mythology, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Number of Episodes: 25 - Complete Series (VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND)!
Original Channel and Run Date: CCTV (1986)
Country: China
Language: Mandarin （普通話）
Subtitles: English and Chinese (Hard Coded)
Synopsis:
Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the classical novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on CCTV in China on 1 October 1986. The series became an instant classic in China and is still being praised by many as the best and most authentic interpretation of the novel.
The novel is a fictionalised account of the legendary pilgrimage to India of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, and loosely based its source from the historic text Great Tang Records on the Western Regions and traditional folk tales. The monk travelled to the "Western Regions" during the Tang Dynasty, to obtain sacred texts (sūtras). The bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin), on instruction from the Buddha, gives this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples — namely Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuanzang's steed, a white horse. These four characters have agreed to help Xuanzang as an atonement for past sins.
Enduringly popular, the tale is at once an adventure story, a spring of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India represents individuals journeying towards enlightenment.
Directed By: Yang Jie, Xun Hao, and Ren Fengpo
Main Cast:
Jinlai Zhang as Sun Wukong
Dehua Ma as Zhu Bajie
Huaili Yan as Sha Seng
Shaohua Xu as Tang Seng
Zhongrui Chi as Tang Seng
Yue Wang as Tang Seng
Bo Z. Wang as White Dragon (as BoZhao Wang)
Screen Grabs:
Tech Specs:
Video
Format: MPEG Video
Format version: Version 1
Format settings, BVOP: Yes
Format settings, Matrix: Default
Bit rate: 1 107 Kbps
Maximum bit rate: 1 120 Kbps
Width: 352 pixels
Height: 288 pixels
Display aspect ratio: 4:3
Frame rate: 25.000 fps
Standard: PAL
Color space: YUV
Bit depth: 8 bits
Scan type: Progressive
Compression mode: Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame): 0.437
Stream size: 317 MiB (82%)
Audio
Format: MPEG Audio
Format version: Version 1
Format profile: Layer 2
Bit rate mode: Constant
Bit rate: 224 Kbps
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Compression mode: Lossy
Stream size: 64.1 MiB (16%)[/size]
