Fans throng to see Sun Wukong actor

Actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong shows a child how to pose like Sun Wukong at the book signing on Tuesday afternoon - Photo: Tuong Vi

Liu Xiao Ling Tong, a famous Chinese actor loved in Vietnam for his portrayal of Sun Wukong in the 1986 Chinese TV series, Xi You Ji  or “Journey to the West”, was swamped by fans at a book signing in HCMC’s District 1 on Tuesday.

His newly published autobiographical novel “Luc Tieu Linh Dong binh Tay Du” is the best-seller here after its huge success in China. In the book Tong writes about what it was like playing the role of Sun Wukong for 17 years.

This is the second time the actor has visited Vietnam since the first trip with his father in 1998. At the book signing at Fahasa Tan Dinh Bookstore, the actor said he was moved to see so many adoring fans. “Sun Wukong is the symbol for the relationship between Vietnamese and Chinese people,” Tong said to the crowd.

When asked about new movies based on the 1986 TV series, “Journey to the West”, the actor said, “I appreciate new scripts but definitely object to remakes that distort the spirit and meaning of the original literary work.”

“There are even scripts that tell of a love between Sun Wukong and female devils and I will never take part in those movies,” he added.

His latest series called “Wu Chengen and Xi You Ji” which has 50 episodes is currently screening in China. The film tells about the life of Wu Chengen, the author of Xi You Ji and how he created the story. Liu Xiao Ling Tong plays the main role of Wu Chengen.

Tong’s visit is part of cultural exchange events to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam. China Radio International and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism cooperate to bring Chinese actors and art groups to Vietnam. Journey to the West was screened in the U.S., Japan, Germany, France and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam.

The actor will have a talk with students from University of Social Sciences and Humanity in HCMC; a talk online with fans via a local newspaper and a visit to Galaxy Nguyen Du cinema to meet fans in District 1 on Thursday. He will return home on Thursday.

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Fans throng to see Sun Wukong actor

Actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong shows a child how to pose like Sun Wukong at the book signing on Tuesday afternoon - Photo: Tuong Vi

Liu Xiao Ling Tong, a famous Chinese actor loved in Vietnam for his portrayal of Sun Wukong in the 1986 Chinese TV series, Xi You Ji  or “Journey to the West”, was swamped by fans at a book signing in HCMC’s District 1 on Tuesday.

His newly published autobiographical novel “Luc Tieu Linh Dong binh Tay Du” is the best-seller here after its huge success in China. In the book Tong writes about what it was like playing the role of Sun Wukong for 17 years.

This is the second time the actor has visited Vietnam since the first trip with his father in 1998. At the book signing at Fahasa Tan Dinh Bookstore, the actor said he was moved to see so many adoring fans. “Sun Wukong is the symbol for the relationship between Vietnamese and Chinese people,” Tong said to the crowd.

When asked about new movies based on the 1986 TV series, “Journey to the West”, the actor said, “I appreciate new scripts but definitely object to remakes that distort the spirit and meaning of the original literary work.”

“There are even scripts that tell of a love between Sun Wukong and female devils and I will never take part in those movies,” he added.

His latest series called “Wu Chengen and Xi You Ji” which has 50 episodes is currently screening in China. The film tells about the life of Wu Chengen, the author of Xi You Ji and how he created the story. Liu Xiao Ling Tong plays the main role of Wu Chengen.

Tong’s visit is part of cultural exchange events to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam. China Radio International and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism cooperate to bring Chinese actors and art groups to Vietnam. Journey to the West was screened in the U.S., Japan, Germany, France and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam.

The actor will have a talk with students from University of Social Sciences and Humanity in HCMC; a talk online with fans via a local newspaper and a visit to Galaxy Nguyen Du cinema to meet fans in District 1 on Thursday. He will return home on Thursday.

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City fans line up for Monkey King’s signatures

Chinese actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong is talking with his fan while signing autographs in Fahasa Bookstore in Ho Chi Minh City on December 28, 2010

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hundreds of fans queued up Tuesday to meet Chinese actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong, known for his portrayal of Sun Wukong or the Monkey King in a popular 1980s Chinese TV series “Journey to the West”.

The fans waited in long queue at the Tan Dinh Fahasa bookstore on District 1’s Hai Ba Trung Street, where the 52-year-old actor autographed his books “Liu Xiao Ling Tong – Journey to the West”, which was recently published in Vietnamese by Chibooks publishing house.

Among them is Nguyen Van The, an 82-year-old man, who crossed hundreds of kilometers to the bookstore to see the Monkey King in the flesh.

“I have to get his signature so that my neighbors and relatives believe that I have gone to HCMC and met Sun Wukong. Otherwise they just think that I come here to buy books,” he said.

He added that he liked the scene in which Sun Wu Kong disturbed the heaven.

Kieu Tat Thang, 49, had come to the bookstore early to see Liu Xiao Ling Ton: “I have read many Chinese books prior to 1975 and “Journey to the West” is my favorite. I appreciate its humane element.”

At a corner, two high school students Kim Vy and Nhat Anh were happy to obtain his signature. “We are very fascinated with the ‘Journey to the West’ film. We have seen it many times.”

According to schedule, the actor will visit the Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School and have Q&A session at some news agencies on December 29 before returning to China one day later.

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China to partner in Mid-Autumn Fest celebrations

Photo: Tuoi Tre

China will be the partner country this year in the annual celebrations to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival to be held in Hanoi this month.

The Vietnam – China Mid-Autumn Festival, to be held from September 17 to 20, will feature some spectacular shows like the dance-drama Journey to the West by Chinese artists and boi singing, lion and dragon dances, and water puppetry by Vietnamese artists.

The Journey to the West, the event’s highlight, is one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.

Boi, a kind of Vietnamese traditional music, will be performed by Vietnamese Southerners, and other shows like lion-dragon dances by local artistic dancing teams and water puppet by Hanoi-based Chang Son puppetry.

There will be several Vietnamese and Chinese traditional games in which visitors can take part. They can also enjoy Chinese tea and try their hand at baking traditional cakes from the two countries and making lanterns, kites, and masks.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Museum of Yunnan ethics and Yunnan Opera Institute from China, and the Chinese embassy in Hanoi will organize this year’s festival.

Last year Japan partnered in the festival, and in 2007 it was Korea.

Tickets, available at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen Street, cost VND25,000 (US$1.3) for adults, VND 3,000 for children, and VND5,000 for students.

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