Published in its familiar form by Wu Cheng'en in the 1590s, this Chinese classic grew from medieval stories about seventh-century monk Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India. Accompanied by the Monkey King and other supernatural disciples, he battles monsters while seeking Buddhist scriptures.

Another of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, the tale has inspired everything from cult Japanese TV series Monkey to the Dragon Ball manga media franchise. Its biggest recent hit, the video game Black Myth: Wukong, has reportedly made over $1 billion (£742m).

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