Photo by Verity Williams

Verity Williams@williams.verity.23.8

Some of the most decisive moments in Journey to the West belong to a figure who isn't one of the travelers. Bodhisattva Guan Yin is the goddess of compassion, and her legends in China reach back more than two thousand years. Her story has also found its way onto the Shen Yun stage, where deities and legendary figures from traditional Chinese culture are brought to life through classical Chinese dance. The pilgrimage to the West begins with her. She determined that the sacred Buddhist scriptures should be brought to the East and chose a humble monk for the task. But she doesn't send the monk alone, because the journey is a treacherous one. She assembles a ragtag team of guards to accompany him: a magical monkey, a pig man, and an ogre. Their task is to protect the monk, but she also intends for them to advance along their own spiritual paths, so they can eventually return to their positions in the heavens. At the points where the travelers' own powers run out, it is Guan Yin who arrives with a way forward. Her role is not simply to rescue the travelers. She guides them through the trials that will ultimately transform them. Learn more at the link in our bio. ⏩ shenyuncreations.com ⏩ shenyun.com/tickets