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How the Monkey King escaped the underworld - Shunan Teng

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The Monkey King, a legendary troublemaker hatched from stone and schooled in divine magic, had stolen the Dragon Lord’s most treasured weapon: a magical staff. Returning to his kingdom to show off his treasure to his tribe of warrior monkeys, he finds himself caught in the clutches of two soul collectors, dragging him to his death. Shunan Teng details the Monkey King’s journey to the underworld.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Shunan Teng
  • Director Mohammad Babakoohi, Yijia Cao
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Storyboard Artist Mohammad Babakoohi
  • Animator Elahe Baloochi
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by TED-Ed

Many view the earlier chapters of Journey to the West where the Monkey King defies all rules and causing disruption in both heaven and in hell as a great satire mocking the bureaucracy of China at the time. Do all rules and power structures lead to bureaucracy? Do beings with higher power, like the immortals and gods, have a divine right and/or responsibility to establish order; and in pursuit of establishing order, device rewards and punishments in the worlds of less-able and less-knowing like the realm of human?

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Avatar for Kathryn Cornwell
Lesson completed

I do think it’s the higher powers and god’s responsibility, because they are higher than us for a reason.


Avatar for loiko popo
Lesson in progress

I think that such beings, considered as far superior as humans, doesn't need to mess with the lower realm, instead they feel powerless in their own realm. Governing or ruling humans is more of a troublesome task, which is not their to do. Putting themselves as the order establisher would do them more wrong than good, and do humans more do than wrong, since not from the same category of being, and therefore, not having the same perception of reality.


Avatar for Harry Connerty
Lesson completed

I do think all rules and power structures lead to bureaucracy. I think beings with higher power like the immortals and gods have a dive right and or responsibility to establish order and in pursuit of establishing order device rewards and punishments in the worlds of less able and less knowing like the realm of human.


Avatar for 민욱 김
Lesson completed

I don't think like that because it's not a problem if I'm weak. there are no reason for the strong people to rule the weak people.


Avatar for 민욱 김
Lesson completed

I don't think the immortals and god rules all the things because it can't be only strong people ruling. I think weak people can still get equal rights.


Avatar for Minwook Kim
Lesson completed

I think they can order human and the weaker gods because ordering means that they are much more powerful than the people who is getting the order.


Avatar for Sophia White
Lesson completed

I do believe that the higher powers and immortal should have responsability because power comes with responsibility.


Avatar for Gabriel Hegelheimer
Lesson in progress

SUB TO Loverfella and SaddowApples


Avatar for Matyas Prokopius
Lesson in progress

I think it is a representation of the situation or position of the monarch in China?


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