Born out of a stone, trained by Taoist masters, able to jump 10,000 kilometres and trained in shapeshifting magic, the Monkey King was a superhero before the term even existed. He took on the establishment, and despite his ultimate failure, the story of the monkey rebel leader who was sentenced to escort a monk to India to fetch Buddhist scriptures as a kind of repentance is one of the classics in China. The story has something for everyone. It is a comedy, but also a key to understanding Chinese religion and spirituality. We will explore one of China’s most beloved tales and explain the historical background.