Wu Cheng'en (circa 1504-1582), styled Ruzhong and also known as Sheyang Hermit or Sheyang Mountain Dweller, hailed from Lianshui (present-day Lianshui County, Jiangsu Province) and later settled in Shanyang (present-day Huaian City, Jiangsu Province). He was a writer and official during the Ming Dynasty in China.
Wu Cheng'en gained fame for his outstanding literary talent in his teens. In the eighth year of the Jiajing reign (1529), he studied at the Longxi Academy and became a "participant in Buddhist banquets." Despite his remarkable talent, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. Around the 21st year of the Jiajing reign (1542), Wu completed the first draft of his novel "Journey to the West." He continued to pursue the path of the imperial examinations but encountered many obstacles in his official career. It wasn't until the 29th year of the Jiajing reign (1550) that he was finally admitted as a local tribute student, only to fail the subsequent exams and enroll at the Imperial College. In the second year of the Longqing reign (1568), he was vindicated and summoned to Hubei, where he served as the recorder in the mansion of Prince Jing, Zhu Yiju. In the fourth year of the Longqing reign (1570), he resigned from his post and returned to his hometown. He passed away around the tenth year of the Wanli reign (1582), leaving no descendants.
"Journey to the West," created by Wu Cheng'en, is China's first full-length novel of gods and demons and is listed among the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. After its publication, "Journey to the West" was translated into over a dozen languages including English, Russian, Japanese, French, German, and Italian, garnering praise worldwide. In his later years, Wu Cheng'en amused himself by composing poetry and painting. He also compiled "A New Collection of Flowers and Plants" and authored the supernatural fiction "The Record of Yu's Tripod," although the original manuscript is lost. His poems and essays were later collected into "The Surviving Works of Mr. Sheyang" in 4 volumes and "Supplementary Works" in 1 volume.
