The Golden Monkey Subdues the Demon
A 1985 hand-drawn animated feature by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio adapting the 'Three Strikes of the White Bone Demon' from Journey to the West.
The Golden Monkey Subdues the Demon is a 2D animated feature film produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1985, co-directed by Te Wei, Yan Dingxian, and Lin Wenxiao, and co-written by Te Wei and Bao Lei. The film is adapted from the popular "Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon" story from Journey to the West. With a total runtime of approximately 90 minutes, the project began preparation in 1982 and took three years and four months to complete. The plot follows the master and his three disciples as they travel to the White Tiger Ridge during their pilgrimage. To devour the flesh of Tang Sanzang, Lady White Bone transforms herself into a village girl, a child, and an old man to deceive them. Using his Fire-Golden Eyes, Wukong sees through the disguises three times and kills her. Tang Sanzang, mistakenly believing Wukong has indiscriminately harmed innocent people, recites the Band-Tightening Spell three times and eventually banishes him back to Flower-Fruit Mountain. Lady White Bone seizes the opportunity to kidnap Tang Sanzang, prompting Bajie to rush to Flower-Fruit Mountain to bring back the Great Sage. Wukong once again subdues the demon and rescues his master, after which the master and disciples resolve their grievances. The film is renowned for its rich national painting style, opera-inspired character designs, and highly stylized monster aesthetics. In 1986, it won the Best Animated Film award at the 6th China Golden Rooster Awards, and in 1989, it won first prize for animated feature films at the 6th Chicago International Children's Film Festival, making it a representative work of Chinese animation from the 1980s.