Bicycle Monkey King Playing Cards, Riffle Shuffle, USPCC 2019, Out of Print. Limited edition of 2500, unnumbered, Sun Wukong, China legends, Chinese culture, folktales, tradition, classic literature, Journey to the West. Brand new, sealed

Description

– Launched 2019
– Check out the YouTube review by Deckin Around

If you know a bit about Asian culture, you have probably heard of the Monkey King. That’s right — it is the cunning-looking monkey that we are talking about. The story of the Monkey King originates from an ancient legend that, along with others, had a strong influence on the Chinese and Japanese culture. Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and Naruto have all been inspired by the original legend’s characters. This new design also uses the Monkey King as its theme, showcasing his many mischievous faces throughout the deck. These cards are fun and unique, a great fit for any collection!

Bicycle Monkey King Playing Cards is printed by United States Playing Card Company with Air-Cushion finish. Limited edition of 2500 decks.

The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong in Mandarin Chinese (traditional Chinese: 孫悟空; simplified Chinese: 孙悟空), is a legendary mythical figure. It is best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West (traditional Chinese: 西遊記; simplified Chinese: 西游记) and many later stories and adaptations. In said novel, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. After five hundred years, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang (唐三藏) and two other disciples on a journey to get back Buddhist sutras from the West (India), where Buddha and his followers dwell.

Sun Wukong possesses many abilities. He has amazing strength and is able to support the weight of two heaven mountains on his shoulders while running “with the speed of a meteor”. He is extremely fast, able to travel 108,000 li (54,000 km, 34,000 mi) in one somersault. He has amazing memory skills and can remember every monkey ever born. As king of the monkeys it is his duty to keep track of and protect every monkey. Sun Wukong also acquires the 72 Earthly Transformations, which allow him to access 72 unique powers, including the ability to transform into sundry animals and objects. He is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven. His hair has magical properties, capable of making copies of himself or transforming into various weapons, animals and other things. He also shows partial weather manipulation skills and can stop people in place with fixing magic.

As one of the most enduring Chinese literary characters, the Monkey King has a varied background and colorful cultural history. His inspiration might come from an amalgam of Chinese and Indian culture. The Monkey King was possibly influenced by the Hindu deity Hanuman, the Monkey-God, from the Ramayana, via stories passed by Buddhists who traveled to China. The Monkey King’s origin story includes the wind blowing on a stone, whereas Hanuman is the son of the God of Wind. Some scholars believe the character originated from the first disciple of Xuanzang, Shi Banto.

His inspiration might have also come from the White Monkey legends from the Chinese Chu kingdom (700–223 BC),which revered gibbons. These legends gave rise to stories and art motifs during the Han dynasty, eventually contributing to the Monkey King figure.