700-year-old ancient tomb buries 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven', experts pale because of what lies underneath?

Lan ChiOct 27, 2024 at 15:23

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In the 1980s, in Fujian province (China), a mysterious discovery attracted the attention of archaeologists when they accidentally discovered an ancient tomb on the top of Baoshan mountain.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 1

What is particularly shocking are the two stone tablets at the tomb that clearly state "Tomb of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven" and "Tomb of the Great Sage Tongtian". The traces of time cannot erase the curiosity about the origin and real owner of this tomb.

After careful research, archaeologists concluded that the tomb dates back to the Yuan Dynasty, a rich and mysterious period in China’s history. The tomb is not simply the resting place of two mysterious figures, but also contains many artifacts related to monkeys, an animal that often appears in folk tales and legends.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 2

Historians and archaeologists have begun to hypothesize that the tomb's owners may have been the prototypes for the character Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West" - one of the "Four Great Classics" of Chinese literature. "Journey to the West", believed to have been written in 1590, is a famous work about the journey of Tang Monk and his disciples to seek Buddhist scriptures, in which Sun Wukong is the most prominent character with extraordinary abilities and magical powers.

The appearance of a 7-meter-long stick made of pure iron in the tomb further adds to the mystery and is reminiscent of Sun Wukong's Ruyi Stick. This not only raises questions about the connection between the tomb and the legendary character, but also makes many people wonder whether "Journey to the West" is not simply a literary work but also contains real historical elements.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 3

Although many hypotheses have been put forward, there are still many opinions that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and the Great Sage Tongtian are just the imagination of the ancients. According to some experts, their tombs may have been built by an enthusiastic fan of "Journey to the West", who tried to recreate the legendary story by preparing items similar to those in the work.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 4

There is also another interesting theory that the Monkey King actually existed, based on Wuzhiqi, a mythical creature said to live in the Huai River. Wuzhiqi is described as having extraordinary strength and an ape-like appearance. Wu Cheng'en, the author of "Journey to the West", is said to have been inspired by the legends of Wuzhiqi to create the colorful and lively character of Sun Wukong in his literary work.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 5

To this day, the identity of the tomb's owner remains a mystery, and debates and theories continue to arise within the archaeological community. Some believe that this could be the tomb of real people who once existed and later became the inspiration for "Journey to the West", while others claim that this is simply a product of a rich imagination or a work of art with strong religious and cultural influences of the time.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 6

Whatever the truth, this discovery has contributed to the enrichment of Chinese history and culture. It has opened new doors for research and delved into the origins of classic literary works, and provided fascinating and mysterious stories for those who are passionate about discovery and knowledge. The tombs of the Monkey King and the Great Sage Tongtian in Fujian will certainly be mentioned as an indispensable part of the complex and colorful historical story.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 7

Many of us often think that Sun Wukong is just a fictional character created by Wu Cheng'en. In the famous work Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is portrayed as an immortal stone monkey, possessing extraordinary abilities.

Sun Wukong is a stone monkey born from Heaven and Earth, formed by the transformation of heaven and earth, born with the essence of heaven and earth.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 8

When he was born, Sun Wukong was smart and clever, and soon became the Monkey King of Flower Fruit Mountain. Sun Wukong traveled the four seas in search of immortals and sought the Tao, and finally reached his destination.

The stone monkey found his way to Linh Dai Phuong Thon mountain, Ta Nguyet Tam Tinh cave, and paid homage to Bodhi Patriarch as his teacher.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 9

Later, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was rescued by Tang Monk, abandoned his evil heart to live with a good heart, wholeheartedly studied the Dao, assisted his master Tang Monk, eliminated evil, restored justice and fairness. After obtaining the true scriptures, Sun Wukong was crowned as the Fighting Victory Buddha. With his fame, Sun Wukong's image was quickly exploited in various fields of art.

In his homeland of China, the role of Sun Wukong has become an indispensable part of theater stages and television dramas.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 10

Basically, the image of Sun Wukong often only describes a part of his life and is based heavily on the Journey to the West series by Wu Cheng'en.

Sun Wukong is an artistic creation of Wu Cheng'en, but in reality, whether this character is real or not is still a question that gives researchers a headache.

700-year-old ancient tomb buries Great Sage Equaling Heaven, experts pale because of what lies underneath? - Photo 11

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