Beijing girl claims to be a descendant of the Monkey King
A Weibo user who adamantly claims to be a descendant of the Monkey King, a character from from Wu Chen-en's epic Journey to the West tales, has attracted intrigue and criticism from netizens across the country. The woman has even offered what she says is an 'ancestral stone' and 'monkey wool' as evidence to prove her theory, and on January 6 paid a visit to Fudan University's anthropology research labs in Shanghai to expose her identity through DNA testing.
The Weibo user, Mom's Concubine, comes from Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, a place highly recognized as being the Monkey King's hometown. Reports say that the woman had at first never believed that she could be an offspring of the Monkey King, who, according to legend, was born from stone. But the way her elders had always talked about it led to her curiosity. Now, she wants to prove her identity through scientific method.
Upon testing, Fudan University professors have so far said that the so-called "monkey wool" may not be true monkey wool, and stones she brought aren't able to confirm whether she is Monkey King's descendant or not. Still, she said she won't give up and is set on proving her ancestry.
In relevant timing, the latest trailer for the film adaptation of The Monkey King was released to the public this month and the film is due to come out later this year. Directed by Soi Cheang, the movie stars Donnie Yen as the Monkey King along with Chow Yun Fat and Aaron Kwok and is based on the same material as Steven Chow's previous Journey to the West installments.
Chow's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons was China's biggest movie in 2013, according to figures, raking in over one-billion yuan ($160 million) in just 16 days.
By Isabel Quan
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