According to 163, the film Journey to the West has been on air for 39 years, becoming a spiritual dish for fans around the world. The show has been produced since 1982, and the budget for film production at that time was quite limited, relying heavily on creative techniques to create a fantasy world that captured the audience’s trust in the adaptation of the classic tale of the Four Masters, directed by Yang Jie and the film crew did a remarkable job.
Notably, the episode Heavenly Palace’s Chaos caused filmmakers to be at a loss to create the elaborate scenes of the heavenly realm as it truly portrayed the essence of the heavenly beings.
According to the introduction, the treasures in the realm of the Jade Emperor are quite precious: “The celestial garden contains a total of 3,600 trees, with 1,200 flowering fruit trees in the front, and 3,000 years old trees blooming once every nine years, showcasing their celestial beauty.”
Additionally, among the 1,200 flowering trees, 6,000 years old trees bloom once every nine years, resembling the flight of a bird through the sky. Behind the 1,200 fruit trees, 9,000 years old trees bloom once every nine years, with fruits that have a deep purple hue, symbolizing a connection to the earthly realm.”
As a result, when filming, the character Tang Seng was burdened with the weight of the role, throwing a heavy face down, leading many viewers to blame this character for being too excessive and unrestrained. However, the actor Lu Xiaolin playing Tang Seng couldn’t help but feel more pressure.
According to the film crew’s sharing, the culinary treasures depicted are indeed quite elaborate. The production team couldn’t find such large and exquisite culinary treasures, so they opted for bamboo shoots to create the structure, and then used a combination of color and taste to enhance the visual experience. Lu Xiaolin could portray delicious food scenes, while the crew revealed several culinary treasures hidden within the culinary scenes, making the character seem more appealing. This detail was only recently discovered, prompting viewers to remark, “After watching Journey to the West 50 times, I realized,” “so it turns out Tang Seng has been wronged for 39 years.”
However, to create the captivating culinary scene, director Yang Jie had to transfer the filming setup to a secondary school in Beijing, and then used CO2 to create the smoke effect. Here, the crew brought in props representing the culinary treasures. After that, they had to replace tree leaves with large, deep green leaves to create a vibrant atmosphere. Each tree was assigned a unique culinary treasure, creating a magnificent backdrop for the heavenly culinary scene.
According to Sohu, the film Journey to the West 1986 has been broadcast over 4,000 times, becoming one of the most frequently re-aired works in China. During its initial airing, the audience rating of the film was 89.4%.
Journey to the West has become a classic work, simultaneously helping the actors in the film become legendary figures. Many famous artists have only appeared in this film, yet nearly 40 years later, it is still cherished by audiences everywhere. Many individuals associated with the film have become iconic figures in their own right.
