First published in 1952 The Journey to the West volume I comprises the first twenty-five chapters of Anthony C. Yu's four-volume translation of Hsi-yu Chi one of the most beloved classics of Chinese literature. The fantastic tale recounts the sixteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Hsüan-tsang (596-664) one of China's most illustrious religious heroes who journeyed to India with four animal disciples in quest of Buddhist scriptures. For nearly a thousand years his exploits were celebrated and embellished in various accounts culminating in the hundred-chapter Journey to the West which combines religious allegory with romance fantasy humor and satire.