Hidden Cave

Lore & Background

According to folklore, when Guanyin Bodhisattva passed through Flower Fruit Mountain, she meditated on a large rock. Imbued with divine essence, the stone miraculously gave birth to Sun Wukong. In another folktale, the mother goddess Nüwa sacrificed herself, transforming into thousands of colorful crystals to repair the sky. One of these crystals fell onto Flower and Fruit Mountain, where it absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, eventually giving birth to a stone monkey. After Sun Wukong becomes 'Handsome Monkey King' (美猴王; měi hóuwáng), this mountain becomes exceedingly civilized and well-trained for various future conflicts. Sun Wukong often left this mountain for various reasons, including his eventual task of protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to India. Due to the natural and civilized ways of this mountain set by Sun Wukong, this mountain continues to thrive even after 500 years of conflict.

In Their Own Story

Very early in the novel, Sun Wukong, with his bravery, nominated himself to be the monkey that would rush through the Mount Huaguo's great waterfall in order to see what was behind it. He discovered a scene described as: 'Emerald moss piled up in heaps of blue, / White clouds like drifting jade, / While the light flickered among wisps of coloured mist. / A quiet house with peaceful windows, / Flowers growing on the smooth bench; / Dragon pearls hanging in niches, / Exotic blooms all around. / Traces of fire beside the stove, / Scraps of food in the vessels by the table. / Adorable stone chairs and beds, / Even better stone plates and bowls. / One or two tall bamboos, / Three or four sprigs of plum blossom, / A few pines that always attract rain, / All just like a real home.' Following this, Wukong 'took a good, long look and then scampered to the middle of the bridge, from where he noticed a stone tablet. On the tablet had been carved in big square letters: HAPPY LAND OF THE MOUNTAIN OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT, CAVE HEAVEN OF THE WATER CURTAIN (花果山福地、水帘洞洞天).' The stone monkey was beside himself with glee. He rushed away, shut his eyes, crouched, and leapt back through the waterfall. After many points following this, Sun Wukong returned to the Water Curtain Cave for miscellaneous reasons, either while returning from his celestial master, or because of an issue with his enlightened master, Sanzang.

Reader's Guide

The mountain is located in the country of Aolai in the Eastern Continent of Superior Deity. After Sun Wukong bravely rushes through a large waterfall and into the Shuilian Cave, every individual in the mountain acknowledges him as their king. The cave is generally used for all the monkeys to train within and generally rest. The mountain has many demons and monkeys in its population. Several real-world locations have been connected with Mount Huaguo, though the eponymous mountain in Lianyungang, Jiangsu is most commonly identified as its source of inspiration. Other proposed prototypes include Huaguoshan in Loufan, Shanxi; Baoshan Mountain in Shunchang, Fujian; Mount Tai in Shandong; Huaguoshan in Yiyang, Luoyang, Henan; Yangxian Mountain in Yixing, Jiangsu; and Siming Mountain in Ningbo, Zhejiang. There is no consensus among Chinese academics regarding the true prototype.

Did You Know?

• The mountain is also known as Flowers and Fruit Mountain, with the Chinese name Huāguǒ Shān.
• The Shuilian Cave (Water Curtain Cave) features a stone tablet carved with the words: 'HAPPY LAND OF THE MOUNTAIN OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT, CAVE HEAVEN OF THE WATER CURTAIN'.
• After Sun Wukong becomes Handsome Monkey King, the mountain becomes exceedingly civilized and well-trained for future conflicts.
• The mountain continues to thrive even after 500 years of conflict.
• At least seven real-world locations in China have been proposed as the prototype for Mount Huaguo, with no academic consensus.