When Tripitaka tells his disciples to hang back so he can beg for a meal from some seemingly harmless young maidens, he gets a harrowing reminder of why he was given guardian women. Also, would you rather shoot webs from your wrist or your navel?
Why are wolves always horny no matter which culture they appear in? How is Monkey gonna wangle his bells this time? The answers and more this week. Plus, special guest and divine goddess Guan Yin returns!
Having cured the king, Wukong and pals must heal the kingdom. The Monkey King once more drops his doctor's coat and picks up the golden staff to rescue the king's kidnapped wives. But ancient definitions of heroism maybe a little less... heroic for modern tastes!
Wukong's got just the cure for our ailing king, and it involves every type of medicine in the city, the ashes below an old cooking pot, and their long-suffering horse... will he cure or kill? Tune in to find out!
This week Pilgrim and Wuneng are called upon to heal the emperor. Also, we defend the much-maligned eunuch, a class of people who are no longer around to speak for themselves!
It's a slimy, smelly episode as Tripitaka's disciples arrive at a valley filled with rotten persimmons. Worse yet, an evil wind sweeps through the village, swallowing livestock and villagers whole! Everyone's scared, but not Wukong, as he and Wuneng get ready for a deep clean.
While we celebrate a certain Christian savior's birthday, Wukong gets a little help from Budai, aka Maitreya Buddha, the prophesied future redeemer of humanity who may have already come before. Turns out he's an even bigger prankster than Monkey!
Tripitaka's sworn to visit every monastery he passes on his way to the west, even the one that Sun Wukong is convinced is a demonic snare. What's a monkey guardian to do? Find out this week!
Tripitaka gets whisked away to a poetry jam with some dirty old geezers by moonlight. While Monkey and his disciples search for him through the brambles, an evil temptress and her maidens arrive to tempt the poor monk. Will they find him in time to save his virtue? Find out this week!
The conclusion to the mystery of who robbed the Golden Light Monastery of its relics! Not only do Monkey and pals take on the thief, but an entire family of dragons in their lair too. Will they emerge as dragonslayers or dragon-slain? Find out this week!
Monkey and friends arrive at a kingdom where all the Buddhist monks are being punished for a crime they didn't commit! Somebody stole the land's big holy attraction and with it the respect of its neighbors. Will they find the true culprit? Find out this week!
It's the epic conclusion to the Bull Demon King saga! Will Monkey and friends finally extinguish the flames that block their path? And what will become of the Bull Demon King's marriage? The answer to this and more this week!
Monkey finally catches up with his old blood brother, the Bull Demon King! But a lot's happened between them in the 500 years since they last saw each other. Can they patch things up and can Wukong borrow his wife's fan? Find out this week!
This week, everyone's favorite Buddhists find their path blocked by a flaming mountain. The only way to put out the fire is with a legendary Palm Leaf fan that just so happens to belong to Princess Iron Fan, wife of Wukong's estranged blood brother, the Bull Demon King! What's the Monkey King to do? Find out this week!
The world reels as two identical Monkey Kings fight for dominance, and no Bodhisattva, Heavenly Emperor, or minion of hell can tell them apart! Can Buddha solve this dual-kong conundrum? Find out this week!
With Sun Wukong banished, we briefly consider what the tale would be like had Wujing, the most sensible of Tripitaka's disciples, been the one to lead the party west. But we can't ruminate for long as it appears that another Monkey King has taken the first one's place! Monkey hijinks ensue this week!
Monkey's always been great at turning demons into meat patties, but when he starts braining bandits, Tripataka is absolutely horrified. Is Sun Wukong beyond redemption or is Tripitaka too much of an idealist? Find out this week!
This week we are joined by Katherine Alexander, Assistant Professor of Chinese at University of Colorado, Boulder for a fresh take on the book's infamous kingdom of women. Why does Tripitaka abandon a queen at the altar? Who poisoned Sun Wukong? Find out this week!
There really is something in the water of the Women State of Western Liang and nobody bothered to tell our poor pilgrims! After quenching their thirsts, Wuneng and Tripitaka find themselves pregnant. Will Sun Wukong and Sha Monk find a cure, or will the party be joined by a piglet and monk baby (monklet?) Find out this week!
The exciting conclusion to the Buffalo Demon saga this week as Monkey and the hosts of heaven finally figure out the origin story of the evil king who's been preparing Tripitaka and the other disciples for his next meal!
With his golden rod gone, Wukong the Monkey King tries everything to get his master back, including challenging the Water Buffalo Demon to an old-fashioned boxing match. Don't miss the fight of the 15th century in this week's episode!
When the gang comes upon an impossible mountain, Pilgrim has Tripitaka stand inside a magic circle while he goes begging for food. But the master is hungry and there's al mansion up ahead! Is it really a house, or a snare for humans? Find out this week!
This week's chapter is an undersea extravaganza as Wukong, Wuneng, and Wujing all descend into the depths to battle the Great King in his "Sea Turtle House". Why is it called the Sea Turtle House? And Why is Guanyin weaving a fish basket while barely clothed? All will be revealed!
This week, fellow lover of Chinese classics, and storyteller extraordinaire, John Zhu, shares his experience with our favorite pilgrims and helps shed some light on the world's most epic road trip. Subscribe and listen to John Zhu's expert retellings of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin: Outlaws of the Marsh at ChineseLore.com!
This week sees Monkey and his brother try the old, "change into someone the evil guy wants" trap, but before they can settle business, the villain escapes! That's when strange things start happening, like a river freezing over in summer. Is this a Medieval Ice Age or the "Great King" monster's doing? Find out this week!
Monkey and pals come across a village whose monstrous "Great King" demands child sacrifices! Good thing Wukong and Wuneng know some transformations and can take the kids' place... except Wuneng's been eating too much and can't hide his belly. What will they do? Find out this week!
Proof that the evil immortals of Cart Slow Kingdom aren't true Daoists? They just won't let a loss go. This week Tripitaka must meditate to the death, and go head to head in a guessing game that's anything but fun. Meanwhile, Pilgrim loses his head, gazes behind his navel, and takes a deep-fried bath. Don't miss it!
After a piss-poor first encounter with the Buddhist-enslaving evil Daoist Immortals, Tripitaka is commanded by the king of Cart Slow Kingdom to a weather-summoning showdown! Will the monk's sutras succeed where the Buddhists before him have failed? Tune in to find out!
What's the Ancient Chinese Buddhist's vision of a dystopian world? One where the Daoists have taken over! Tripitaka's party encounter just that this week when they come across a kingdom where all Buddhists are Daoist slaves! How did this happen? What's Monkey going to do about it? Find out this week!
This week an iguana plans a birthday party for a dragon king, why you shouldn't stay for dinner if your host is a demon, and whatever happened to the Red Boy. Plus we get to meet a dragon prince! Don't miss this week's action-packed one-off!
