On July 19th， media reports indicated that actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong made a surprise appearance at Wulongkou， China’s Monkey Mountain. There， he was observed offering guidance on how to wield the “Ruyi Jingu Bang” (the Monkey King’s staff).
Numerous netizens flooded the comments section， with sentiments like “Teacher Liu Xiao Ling Tong is often imitated， but never surpassed.” Another common remark was， “Of all the Monkey Kings， Liu Xiao Ling Tong remains the most unforgettable.”
Information on file states that Liu Xiao Ling Tong’s real name is Zhang Jinlai， born in Shanghai， China. In 1986， the historical fantasy drama “Journey to the West，” in which he starred， began airing.
The 1986 version of “Journey to the West” was an unprecedented sensation upon its release. In the subsequent thirty-plus years， it has been re-broadcast countless times， consistently achieving high viewership ratings. This high frequency of re-runs not only underscores the classic status of the series but also solidified Liu Xiao Ling Tong’s portrayal of Sun Wukong in the public consciousness.
Since then， regardless of how many iterations of the Monkey King have appeared on the big screen， the one truly etched in people’s hearts remains the Sun Wukong portrayed by Liu Xiao Ling Tong – the clever， brave Monkey King， carrying his staff and scratching his ears and cheeks.
