The Journey to the West is one of China's ancient literary masterpieces and one of China's four classical novels. It tells the story of Xuanzang and his disciples, the four great monks in the Tang Dynasty, who finally got the true scriptures after eighty-one difficulties and returned to China. This story is deeply loved by readers and has become an important part of China culture.

But few people know the historical background of The Journey to the West, the truth of this story and the historical truth contained in it. In this article, we will reveal the truth about Journey to the West that you don't know.

The authenticity of The Journey to the West.

First, we need to know the authenticity of The Journey to the West. The story of Journey to the West originated in the Tang Dynasty, around the 7th century. The story was first passed down orally, and later it was written into a novel. Although The Journey to the West's story is full of myths and legends, its historical background and some characters are really true.

For example, Master Xuanzang did go to India to learn from the scriptures, and his adventure story was recorded in the Western Regions of Datang. The Monkey King, Pig Bajie, Friar Sand and other figures are fictional, but their images and personality characteristics are consistent with the social outlook and cultural background at that time.

The historical truth of The Journey to the West

Besides the authenticity of The Journey to the West, it also contains some historical truths. For example, the incident of disturbing Heaven in the story actually reflects the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism in the Tang Dynasty.

During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism and Taoism were very popular. Buddhism emphasizes "Nirvana _" and pursues transcendence, while Taoism emphasizes "immortality" and pursues immortality. The conflict and struggle between these two faiths are reflected in The Journey to the West.

In addition, in the story, the four disciples of Tang Xuanzang passed through many places on their way to learn the scriptures, and the names and geographical locations of these places were all true. For example, Chang 'an, Luoyang, Nanyang and other places they passed through were very important cities in the Tang Dynasty.

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If you want to know more about the historical truth of The Journey to the West, you can follow the following steps:

1. Read the Tang Dynasty's Records of the Western Regions and other relevant historical documents to understand the social background and historical events of the Tang Dynasty.

2. Read the original Journey to the West and savor its historical background and cultural connotation.

3. Visit the cultural relics related to the Journey to the West, such as the former residence of Tang Xuanzang and the route to learn from the scriptures.

4. Take part in relevant cultural activities, such as stage plays and movies of Journey to the West, to gain a deeper understanding of its historical background and cultural connotation.