Sun Wukong has a title: Jingong
Jingong① stands for innate positive vitality, human essence energy and lung’s metal energy②. Its traits: tough, decisive in fighting, quick-witted, restless and unwilling to be controlled. Such personality makes him a perfect hero.
The character “Jin” in Jingong① means Wukong belongs to Metal in Five Elements②. Metal matches the Earthly Branch Shen③, which links to monkey. (Check the chart below for details.)
Shen③ decides Wukong’s natural temperament: free-spirited, martial, hot-tempered.
The Metal element② forms five core personalities of him: firm and decisive, unyielding, outspoken with sharp personality, irritable, diligent and always on the move.
Three concepts are used here: Earthly Branches③, Five Elements② and Chinese Zodiac.
Readers unfamiliar with these will miss lots of fun while reading the original Journey to the West. (Few people know where to find the original book though.)
Below is the fixed matching list:
子(zǐ)|水(shuǐ)water|鼠(shǔ) Rat
丑(chǒu)|土(tǔ)dirt|牛(niú) Ox
寅(yín)|木(mù)wood|虎(hǔ) Tiger
卯(mǎo)|木(mù)wood|兔(tù) Rabbit
辰(chén)|土(tǔ)dirt|龙(lóng) loong
巳(sì)|火(huǒ)fire|蛇(shé) Snake
午(wǔ)|火(huǒ)fire|马(mǎ) Horse
未(wèi)|土(tǔ)dirt|羊(yáng) Sheep
申(shēn)|金(jīn)gold|猴(hóu) Monkey
酉(yǒu)|金(jīn)gold|鸡(jī) Rooster
戌(xū)|土(tǔ)dirt|狗(gǒu) Dog
亥(hài)|水(shuǐ)water|猪(zhū) Pig
Besides, Jingong① refers to lead in Taoist inner alchemy terms. So we can joke that Sun Wukong is like a chunk of lead.(just kidding)
① Jingong[金公|jīn gōng]:a unique terminology from traditional Chinese Taoist inner alchemy, a special nickname for Sun Wukong in Journey to the West.
② Five Elements[五行|wǔ xíng]:the ancient Chinese philosophical classification system dividing all matters into Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.
③ Earthly Branch[地支|dì zhī]:12 traditional Chinese symbolic characters used in zodiac, calendar and ancient fortune culture.
























