Top 20 Hilarious Behind-the-Scenes Moments from Journey to the West

Actor Chi Zhong Shui, who portrayed Tang Seng, usually had to ride a horse on his journey to retrieve the scriptures. But today, he's traveling to the set in a car instead.

Wow, why do the actors seem so tense? Turns out, they are discussing the upcoming plot details. In this picture, Director Yang Jie is seen collaborating with King of the Eastern Sea and Sha Monk to ensure they understand the next scenes. Among all the cast, Director Yang Jie was the most energetic and passionate about the production.

Fun fact: The role of the Eastern Sea Dragon King was played by actor Tuong Dai Vy, who also portrayed the Ox King. Besides acting, he was the talented person behind the timeless soundtrack 'Where is the Road?' from the Journey to the West film.

Traditionally, it's the teacher who pats the student's head, but here we see the student patting his master's head! Behind the scenes, it seems Zhu Bajie was curious to see if his master's head was just like his own.

A close-up of the makeup process for Sha Ngô Tĩnh, played by actor Diêm Hoài Lễ. He sadly passed away in 2009 at the age of 73 due to lung disease.

Zhu Bajie (played by Ma Đức Hoa) takes a break on a folding chair while waiting for his turn to shoot. This casual moment makes many wonder if the old pig is reminiscing about his wife.

In the TV series Journey to the West, the Monkey King possesses mystical eyes that can see through everything and distinguish between demons and humans. However, few know that in real life, actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong suffers from severe nearsightedness, with a prescription of 6 diopters. During the early action scenes, Liu Xiao Ling Tong often accidentally struck other actors with his staff, which caused them to be afraid of performing combat scenes alongside him. Despite his vision challenges, he wasn't fond of wearing contact lenses, as they were uncomfortable for him.

In addition to his expertise in reciting scriptures in the series, Master Tang Seng is also quite skilled in singing. Here’s a moment backstage where the Master is truly in tune with the music!

Have you ever wondered how the actors on set traveled between shooting locations? This photo holds the answer. The seven Spider Demons, along with the film crew, are traveling to the next shooting spot in a cargo truck. It may seem unusual, but it’s certainly a fun sight!

In the show, any girl who encounters Old Zhu has to run away because of his unattractive appearance. However, in real life, every actress seemed to adore Zhu Bajie! In reality, Zhu Bajie is portrayed by actor Ma Đức Hoa, who has a charming and likable face, so it's no surprise that a beautiful girl would come close to him.

To create the eye-catching flying scenes of Sun Wukong, the filmmakers had to use a massive crane like this one. Since the film was made in the 1980s, special effects and props were still underdeveloped, so using a crane as shown in the picture was the best option. Despite the rudimentary equipment, the movie still managed to deliver stunning aerial shots of the Monkey King, which is truly impressive.

Alongside the four disciples of Tang Seng, the White Dragon Horse is also considered one of the main characters of the show. Initially, the production team couldn't find a white horse for the role, so director Yang Jie decided to use a black horse, which was then painted white. However, during a scene where the horse had to cross a stream, the water washed off the paint, revealing its natural black coat. The entire crew had to scramble to repaint the horse's fur as shown in the photo below.

The three disciples—Tang Seng, Sha Seng, and Zhu Bajie—are resting while waiting for the next scene. During the break, the master couldn't help but reach over to feel Zhu Bajie's belly, wondering how it got so big. Earlier, the disciple patted the master's head, so now it’s only fair that the master checks his disciple's belly.

This is a shot of actor Lu Xiao Ling Dong, playing Sun Wukong, dozing off on set. With a packed shooting schedule and many scenes requiring special effects and high-level performances, the actors had to take naps whenever they could, even in between shots.

Unlike the ancient scene in the film, the real filming set was quite modern. This photo shows the four disciples of Tang Monk, along with director Yang Jie and the film crew, riding a speedboat across the river to shoot the next scenes. In contrast, in the movie, they were 'riding on a turtle' instead of a speedboat!

As you might know, during the filming of Journey to the West, the crew faced a shortage of actors. This meant that crew members from departments like sound and lighting often stepped in to play roles themselves. The photo below shows a rehearsal scene with the Monkey King and actors portraying monsters working together.

While in the series, Tang Seng avoids the company of women, the actor who portrayed him, Chi Chong Huai, is quite different in real life. A perfect example is the moments where he shows his chivalry by taking photos for the ladies, like the one below.

Do you recognize the actress in the photo? That's actress Vu Hong, who played two minor roles in the series: the Queen of Tian Zhu in episode 24 and a foreign envoy in episode 18. She also served as the set's secretary. Interestingly, it was through *Journey to the West* that Vu Hong ended up marrying actor Lu Xiao Ling Dong.

While the film crew was preparing for the next scene, the Second Brother, Wu Neng, took the opportunity to snap a few photos of the Eldest Brother. In the series, the bond between the brothers is inseparable, and off-screen, their affection for each other mirrors that same closeness.

The young monkeys at Flower-Fruit Mountain were all played by child actors. The large number of child actors brought a lively atmosphere to the film set. Here, director Dương Khiết is seen taking a break with the young monkeys. Interestingly, one of these child actors, Hùng Nghê, later went on to earn a Gold Medal in world diving competitions.

Zhu Bajie's iconic pig ears are a defining feature of his character, and of course, these prosthetic ears can be easily attached and removed. In this photo, we see the film crew assisting actor Ma Dehua on how to use these ears for the scene.