Journey to the West (2010 TV series)

Lore & Background

The series was directed and produced by Cheng Lidong, who also played the role of Ksitigarbha. It features a large ensemble cast, with Cecilia Han playing multiple roles including White Bone Demoness and White Bird Demoness, and Joan Chen portraying Guanyin. Tang Guoqiang appears as Jade Emperor, and Wang Like plays both Azure Dragon Demon King and Ruler of Women's Kingdom. The opening theme song 'Ta Ge Xi Xing' is performed by Tengger, and the ending theme 'Wo Xin Bu Bian' by Tan Jing. An alternate ending theme 'Xi You Ge' is performed by the four main leads.

Reader's Guide

This 2010 television series is one of several adaptations of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. It is distinct from the 2011 television series of the same title produced by Zhang Jizhong. The series was broadcast internationally, including in Sri Lanka where it aired on Rupavahini in late 2016 under the Sinhalese title Maha Wanara. The production features a wide cast with many actors playing multiple roles, and its soundtrack includes songs performed by the lead actors. The series remains a notable entry in the long history of media adaptations of the Journey to the West story.

Did You Know?

• The series first aired on Zhejiang Satellite TV on 14 February 2010.
• Cheng Lidong, the director and producer, also played the role of Ksitigarbha.
• In Sri Lanka, the drama aired dubbed in Sinhalese as Maha Wanara starting in late 2016.
• The opening theme song 'Ta Ge Xi Xing' was performed by Tengger.

Production & Creative Vision

The 2010 television adaptation of Journey to the West was both directed and produced by Cheng Lidong, who assumed the dual responsibility of shaping the series' creative direction and overseeing its production. The project drew its narrative foundation from the classic 16th-century Chinese novel of the same name, translating centuries-old mythology into a modern television format. At the helm of the story stood a core ensemble: Fei Zhenxiang embodied the mischievous Sun Wukong, Victor Chen portrayed the devoted Tang Sanzang, Xie Ning brought Zhu Bajie to life, Mou Fengbin played the steadfast Sha Wujing, and Wang Shuai took on the role of the White Dragon Horse. The series premiered on Zhejiang Satellite TV on 14 February 2010, entering a crowded landscape of Chinese fantasy television. It is important to distinguish this production from the separate 2011 series of the same title helmed by Zhang Jizhong, as the two are entirely different adaptations despite sharing a source material and a similar title.

Ensemble Cast & Role Diversity

One of the most striking features of this production is the sheer breadth of its supporting cast and the frequency with which individual performers juggle multiple characters across episodes. Cecilia Han, for instance, appears as both the White Bone Demoness and the White Bird Demoness, also known as Pian Pian, while Wang Like shifts between the Azure Dragon Demon King, called Qingling, and the Ruler of the Women's Kingdom. Liu Jia similarly splits her time between the Queen Mother of the West and a character called Widow Woman. The roster extends to major mythological figures: Joan Chen plays Guanyin, Tang Guoqiang portrays the Jade Emperor, Fan Zhiqi embodies Taishang Laojun, and Zhu Yanfei takes on the role of Buddha. Eddie Kwan appears as Li Jing, Yin Xiaotian as Erlang Shen, and Dong Meng as the Bull Demon King. Even Cheng Lidong, the series' own director and producer, steps in front of the camera to play Ksitigarbha. This layering of roles across dozens of performers gives the series a dense, mythopoeic texture that mirrors the sprawling world of the original novel.

Musical Identity & Featured Songs

The series built a distinctive sonic identity through a carefully curated set of featured songs that anchored its emotional beats. The opening theme, "Tage Xixing" (Singing on a Journey to the West), was performed by the Mongolian artist Tengger, lending the series a sweeping, epic quality from its very first frame. The closing musical landscape was equally layered: Tan Jing delivered the primary ending theme "Wo Xin Bu Bian" (My Heart Does Not Change), while an alternate closing track, "Xi You Ge" (Song of a Journey to the West), was performed collectively by the four principal actors—Fei Zhenxiang, Victor Chen, Xie Ning, and Mou Fengbin—tying their on-screen bond to the show's musical signature. Beyond the title themes, individual characters received their own vocal moments. Victor Chen sang "Xin Si Lianhua Kai" (Heart Opens Like a Lotus Blossoming), Wang Like performed "Randeng Zhi Ge" (Song of Lighting a Lamp), and the Black Ducks Group contributed "Guose Tianxiang Jinzai Xiliang" (All the Beauties Are in Xiliang). Together, these tracks wove a rich musical tapestry that reinforced the series' mythic scope and emotional depth.

Broadcast Reach & Cultural Context

The series first reached Chinese audiences on 14 February 2010 through Zhejiang Satellite TV, marking its domestic debut during the Lunar New Year period. Its journey beyond China's borders came several years later: in late 2016, the drama began airing in Sri Lanka on the Rupavahini channel, where it was dubbed into Sinhalese and given the local title "Maha Wanara." This international broadcast placed the 2010 adaptation within a broader global conversation about the enduring appeal of the Journey to the West narrative, a story that has inspired countless retellings across East and South Asia. The series also exists within a specific wave of Chinese television adaptations of the same novel, most notably the 2011 production directed by Zhang Jizhong, which is a separate and distinct project. Together, these multiple adaptations underscore how the 16th-century original continues to serve as a generative source for contemporary screen storytelling, with each new version offering its own interpretive lens on the legendary pilgrimage of Tang Sanzang and his companions.

Gallery