Triumph Through Trials, Stay True to Your Original Purpose

Journey to the West tells the legendary story of the monk Tang Sanzang, who was commissioned by the Tang Emperor to travel to the Western Heaven in search of sacred Buddhist scriptures.

Along the way, he is joined by Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Together, the four companions embark on an epic journey westward.

Through perseverance, courage, and unity, they overcome every hardship and finally obtain the sacred scriptures.

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon

A Journey to the West classic

The Creative Team

The four-person creative team photographed in 1983 — A commemorative photograph taken in 1983. From left to right: Lin Zhen, Zhang Xiushi, Xin Kuanliang, and Fei Changfu.

Beyond the Illusion, Preserve the True Essence

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon illustration

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon is adapted from an episode in the celebrated Chinese classic Journey to the West.

On their pilgrimage, Tang Sanzang and his disciples encounter the White Bone Demon. Three times she changes her appearance, and three times Sun Wukong sees through the disguise.

The story celebrates Sun Wukong’s clear sense of right and wrong, quick intelligence, courage, and unyielding spirit.

Sun Wukong pursues the White Bone Demon — The young woman fell at once. The White Bone Demon abandoned the body, turned into a wisp of smoke, and fled, with Sun Wukong in pursuit. Unable to tell truth from deception, Tang Sanzang saw the woman lying dead and cried, “Taking a life is a grave sin!”

A false message descends from the sky — As Wukong prepared to continue the chase, a strip of yellow silk floated down from the sky, warning Tang Sanzang not to keep a disciple who killed. It was another trick by the White Bone Demon. Believing it to be a sacred decree, Tang Sanzang banished Wukong to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.

Zhu Bajie asks Sun Wukong to return — When Zhu Bajie came to ask him back, Wukong deliberately refused. Unable to persuade him, Bajie stormed away, declaring that he would fight the demon to the death rather than cling to life.

Sun Wukong battles the Golden Toad Hag and lesser demons — The White Bone Demon had invited the Golden Toad Hag and her minions to feast on Tang Sanzang. After overhearing their plan, Wukong descended from the clouds and defeated the hag and the lesser demons with his golden cudgel.

Several forms of Sun Wukong surround the White Bone Demon — Wukong attacked the White Bone Demon with his golden cudgel. Unable to withstand him, she fled the cave. He caught up and used his duplication spell, surrounding her with several versions of himself.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples are reunited — Wukong rescued Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing. Deeply ashamed, Tang Sanzang admitted that he had mistaken demons for humans. Wukong warned that many demons still lay ahead and that they must remain vigilant.

The Three Battles with the White Bone Demon Collection

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon binder

Binder Card storage

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon deck box

Deck Box Deck storage

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon card sleeves

Card Sleeves Card protection

Three Battles with the White Bone Demon playmat artwork

Playmat Full artwork

The Journey to the West Brought to Life Through Masterful Brushwork

In the early 1980s, Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House invited four of its leading artists in classical figure painting to create this full-color edition of Journey to the West. Over three years, they studied the manuscript, worked in close collaboration, and refined every detail.

Lin Zhen

Born in Dalian in 1943, Lin Zhen graduated from the Arts and Crafts Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1968. He went on to work at Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House as an artist, editor, and editorial director, and later led the editorial department of Liaoning Pictorial.

Working across oil painting, New Year pictures, and poster art, he published and exhibited widely. His oil painting Untitled received third prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition and entered the collection of the National Art Museum of China.

Fei Changfu

Born in Changchun in 1941, Fei Changfu graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1966 and joined Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House in 1978. He served as an editor and senior editor and was a member of the China Artists Association.

His practice spans oil painting, decorative painting, New Year pictures, and comic art. His works received awards at national exhibitions, and his collaborative color comic Havoc in Heaven was published by Penguin in Australia.

Zhang Xiushi

Zhang Xiushi (1938–2023) was born in Liaozhong County and graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1964. Across a long career in art creation and publishing, he held senior editorial and leadership roles at Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House and served as editor-in-chief of Art Panorama.

He received national honors for his work in New Year pictures and comic art. His work People’s Hero won second prize in the third National New Year Picture Awards and was collected by the National Art Museum of China.

Xin Kuanliang

Xin Kuanliang (1941–2019), originally from Shandong, graduated from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1963. A senior editor at Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House and a member of the China Artists Association, he created and edited numerous comic and New Year picture works.

The Journey to the West comic series that he edited and helped create received a Special Gold Award at the first National Fine Arts Book Awards and first prize for an outstanding series at the fourth National Comic Art Awards.

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