The enduring appeal of a 400-year-old Chinese story

Published in 1592, “Journey to the West” is the most famous novel in Chinese literature. Better known as “The Monkey King” outside of China, it is also one of the country’s most successful cultural exports. It tells the story of a pilgrimage undertaken by a monk and his three disciples—a monkey, a pig and a bearded muscly man. The tale has inspired countless adaptations across film, TV and video games. Most recently, Ne Zha 2 broke box-office records in China.

For the return of Drum Tower’s film club, Jiehao Chen, The Economist’s China researcher, and Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence” and former China correspondent, analyse their pick of the adaptations. More than 400 years after “Journey to the West” was written, why is the story still so popular? And what does it reveal about China today?