'Monkey King' and 'Pigsy' were recently spotted selling "the meat of Monk Tang" in downtown Yan'an, Shaanxi province.
Monkey King, Pigsy and Monk Tang are famous fictional characters in Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. In the classic story, Monkey King and Pigsy were Tang's disciples who, especially Monkey King, protected Tang loyally all the way through their pilgrimage. Tang was highly sought after by evil genies along the trio's adventure since his meat was thought to make its eater immortal.
With a banner above them reading "2014 hottest street snack - the meat of Monk Tang", two street vendors in Yan'an dressed as Monkey King and Pigsy to sell pork kebabs. "10 yuan for 6 skewers! " They were barking with enthusiasm, wreathed in heavy coal smoke. Unsurprisingly, this showy stunt was very successful. Their stall reportedly attracted a continuous stream of consumers, many of whom were children.
While most just enjoyed the kebabs, some passersby expressed indignation. "How come the devoted disciples are selling their beloved mentor's meat?" One old man said.
Among the bustling crowd around the stall, a reporter spotted a five year old boy weeping sadly. His mom told the reporter that the boy loves the Journey to the West characters, and seeing "Monkey King" sell his mentor's "meat" shocked him a great deal. "I don't know how to explain it to my son," the woman said.
A professor from Yan'an University's department of Chinese language and literature argued that the vendors were distorting the values conveyed in the original. This "negative subcultural phenomenon" could be harmful to the younger generation.
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