Journey to the West is a classic work of scholar Ngo Thua An, considered one of the four greatest literary works of China, along with Hong Lau Mong (Cao Tuyet Can), Thuy Hu (Thi Nai Am) and Thuy Huu (Thi Nai Am). Three Kingdoms Dien Nghia (La Quan Trung). Particularly in Vietnam, the film Journey to the West – adapted from the work of the same name has been associated with the childhood of many generations.
In fact, there is no denying the beauty – the love of the book Journey to the West, but does this classic have holes? The answer is of course yes.
There have been quite a few readers of Journey to the West pointing out the error that exists in this work, one of which is the little girl Ma Tu Tu. Most notably, Ma Si Tu pointed out the absurdity that most readers of Journey to the West ignored, when he was only 11 years old.
Along with the Dream of the Red Chamber, the Water Margin and the Three Kingdoms of Yanyi, Journey to the West has become one of the four great literary works of China.
More specifically, in Journey to the West, four teachers and students of Tang Tang went to get sutras from the eastern land of Dai Duong to the West. The journey is extremely remote and stretches through many different areas. Because of such a wide range, it is certain that the habits and living habits of the people are different, which is most clearly shown in terms of cuisine.
However, little Tu Tu discovered that Tang Tang’s teachers and students went to the same place every day, eating the same foods. Usually their dishes only consist of white rice, green vegetables, mushrooms, wood ear, tofu and mantle.
According to Tu Tu, the dishes are all cuisine of Jiangsu region – the hometown of the “father” of the novel Journey to the West. She deduced that in the ancient times, author Ngo Thua An did not have the conditions to “travel” everywhere, so it was difficult for him to collect many authentic materials for his works.
During the 4-year long journey of asking for sutras, the 4 teachers and students of Tang Tang all ate only familiar foods
After discovering the “hole” of the novel Journey to the West, Tu Tu wrote an analysis article on his personal page. The post of the 11-year-old girl was appreciated by readers of Journey to the West, including literary critics. From the time the work was published (in 1590) until Tu Tu published the article (in 2018), no one had ever spoken out to point out this flaw for more than 400 years.
Reading Tu Tu’s post, a netizen asked the opposite: “Did Tang Tang’s teacher and student bring food?”. However, the girl replied bluntly: If that was the case, the food of the four teachers and students would have long been exhausted. Because of the 14-year-long pilgrimage, in the harsh conditions of the trip, no food can be preserved for that long.
Tu Tu – an 11-year-old girl discovered a hole in Journey to the West that not all adults have easily discovered for more than 400 years
Reading Tu Tu’s post, many education experts praised the 11-year-old student’s thorough observation and analysis. Not only reading books for normal entertainment, this girl also knows how to analyze works, use logical thinking to find holes in the great masterpiece that not all adults can easily recognize.
It is known that in real life Tu Tu has a special love for literature. From an early age, she read a lot of Chinese classics, often considered “difficult to swallow” with the minds of young children. In particular, Journey to the West is Tu Tu’s favorite work, which she read and re-read.
Source: Sohu
