Brief introduction:
Wu Chengen (about 1500-1582), male, named Ruzhong, also known as Sheyangshan. Han nationality, from Shanyang County, Huai'an Prefecture (now Huai'an District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). His ancestral home is Gaodian, Tongcheng, Anhui. His ancestors lived in Gaodian, Tongcheng, so he was called the Wu family in Gaodian.
An outstanding novelist in the Ming Dynasty of China and the author of "Journey to the West", one of the four famous works. He was smart and well-read since he was a child, especially fairy tales. He suffered repeated setbacks in the imperial examinations and was promoted to Gongsheng in Jiajing. In the 45th year of Jiajing reign (1566), he was appointed as the magistrate of Changxing County, Zhejiang Province. Due to difficulties in his official career, he decided not to pursue an official career in his later years and wrote behind closed doors.
In 2004, the Chuzhou District Government of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province decided to build a memorial hall for Wu Chengen at the tea nunnery on the mountain and a stone statue of him at the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain to commemorate him.
Biography of the character:
Wu Chengen was born in Shanyang County, Huai'an Prefecture in 1500 (the 13th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty) to a family where academic officials were reduced to businessmen.
. His father, Wu Rui, had an optimistic and open-minded personality and pursued the Changle philosophy. He named him Cheng'en, with the courtesy name Ruzhong, which meant that he hoped that he could study and become an official, inherit the emperor's favor, benefit the people, and become a loyal minister who will leave a name in history. Wu Cheng'en was smart since he was a child. He loved to read wild history and strange novels. He also loved the biographies of Tang Dynasty people such as Niu Qizhang and Duan Ke. He was good at writing about things and situations. Whenever he wanted to write a book about them, he became famous for his literary works at a young age. Huai is highly appreciated by officials, celebrities and country gentry. Zhu Yingdeng thought that he could read all the books in the world, so he divided half of them from his family's collection of pictures and history.
In 1529 (the eighth year of Jiajing reign), Wu Chengen went to Longxi Academy founded by Ge Mu, the prefect of Huai'an, and was appreciated by Ge Mu.
In 1550, the 29th year of Jiajing reign, Wu Chengen was about 50 years old before he was able to make up for one year old Gongsheng student. He went to Beijing to wait for an official position, but was not selected.
In 1551 (the 30th year of Jiajing reign), Wu Chengen took over as the magistrate of Xinye County, Henan Province. He built the Xingtai Chaoyuan, respected the Sutra Pavilion, added Confucianism, commended chastity, established water conservancy and other virtuous political deeds.
In 1556 (the thirty-fifth year of the Jiajing reign), because his mother's hometown was poor, he became the magistrate of Changxing County, Zhejiang Province. He often drank heavily with his friend Zhu Yuefan, focusing on poetry and wine, and was with Shen, the champion of Jiajing. Kun, the poet Xu Zhongxing has contacts.
In 1558 (the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing reign), he finally returned home after being falsely accused. In his later years, he made a living by selling literature. He went to Hangzhou when he was about sixty-seven years old, and lived about 82 years old. He died in poverty in his later years.
Wu Cheng'en likes to read official history and novels about strange things. He also loves the biographies of Tang Dynasty people such as Niu Qizhang and Duan Ke. He is good at describing things and emotions. Whenever he wants to write a book about it, he will write a literary poem when he is still young. In Huaihe, he was highly appreciated by the officials, celebrities and country gentry. "Huai'an Mansion Chronicle" records that he was sensitive and intelligent, and he was well-versed in books and composed poems and essays. I like to read books about gods, ghosts, lemurs and monkey spirits, such as "Hundred Monsters", "Youyang Zazu" and other novels or unofficial histories.
When Wu Chengen was a child, he was diligent and studious. He is good at painting and calligraphy. He likes to write lyrics and music. He is also proficient in Go. He also likes to collect calligraphy and painting calligraphy of famous people. As a boy, he became famous in his hometown for his outstanding literary talent and was appreciated by people.
His frustration in officialdom and difficulties in life deepened his understanding of the feudal imperial examination system and the dark social reality, prompting him to use the form of fantasy novels to express his inner dissatisfaction and resentment. He said to himself: Although the title of my book is Zhiguai, it does not cover ghosts. It actually records the changes in the human world and provides some warning. Wu Cheng'en also wrote a short story collection "Yu Ding Zhi", but it has been lost and only a preface can be seen.
Wu Chengen is good at painting and calligraphy and has many talents. However, he failed in the imperial examination and became a Gongsheng student in his middle age. At the age of 60, he was appointed as the Changxing County Magistrate, but due to disharmony with his superiors, he resigned. Later, Ji Shan was appointed to Prince Jing's Mansion.
"Huai'an Prefecture Chronicle" records that he was sensitive and intelligent, read a lot of books, and wrote poems and essays. However, he failed in the scientific examination and did not make up for the annual tribute student until he was middle-aged. Later, he lived in Nanjing and relied on selling literature to support his family for a long time. In his later years, he became the magistrate of Changxing County due to his poor family. He could not stand the darkness of the officialdom, so he resigned angrily and died in poverty. After he turned 30, he had already filled his chest with the anecdotes he was searching for, and he had plans to create.
When he was about 50 years old, he wrote the first dozen chapters of "Journey to the West", but then stopped for many years for some reasons. It was not until he resigned and returned to his hometown in his later years that he was able to officially write "Journey to the West".