Monkey King at Fire Mountain
Courtesy of Shen Yun Performing Art  
One of the most beloved episodes from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West is the tale of Monkey King and Princess Iron Fan. Filled with humor and trickery, it has delighted generations of readers and been adapted and retold in many forms, including now on the Shen Yun stage.

We join our heroes (Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy, and Tang Monk) heading westward to obtain Buddhist scriptures to bring back to China. Already weary from ages of hard walking, they begin noticing the ground beneath their feet (and paws or trotters, depending) growing hotter and hotter. When it becomes unbearable to continue, they arrive at the source of the heat: a mountain range ablaze with unceasing flames that fill the sky and blister the earth.

Nothing can grow in the vicinity of Fire Mountain, and crossing through it is clearly out of the question. The local Deity of the Earth who resides nearby emerges to inform the travelers that these flames could be extinguished with the right tool: the Iron Fan. This is the most treasured item of an immortal princess, who lives in the lush and cool Plantain Cave some distance away. With just a few waves, her magical fan could put out the mountain’s blazes forever.

Bidding the others a quick farewell, Monkey sets off to borrow the magical fan. With such a noble pilgrimage at stake, who could refuse to lend even their most precious possession?

As it turns out, Princess Iron Fan could. Still harboring a grudge from a previous encounter, she gives Monkey a tepid reception and tries to fool him with a decoy fan. Incensed, Monkey demands the real fan. So the princess obliges him. She pulls out her magic treasure and promptly gives him a demonstration of its powers—fanning Monkey into oblivion with one grand sweep. She considers the matter suitably settled.

Woven from palm leaves and imbued with mystical powers, the Iron Fan can send the princess’s enemies 80,000 leagues through the air. But being rather magically marvelous himself, Monkey is swept only 50,000 leagues away. Vexed at this setback, he cries out in frustration.

But fortunate for Monkey, he lands on a mountain that is home to a familiar bodhisattva. The goddess greets Monkey, and on hearing our heroe's plight, gifts him a magical orb (the Wind-Fixing Pill). This ball will prevent the princess’s fan from blowing him away even an inch.

Monkey thanks the deity and springs back into action. With one super somersault, he flies back to Plantain Cave and makes an explosive entrance. What began as a tense and banter-filled standoff now turns into an all-out brawl.

Monkey plucks a few golden hairs from his head and transforms them into monkey clones to help him battle the princess’s underlings. The princess enters the fray with twin swords, before realizing their vulnerability against Monkey’s golden staff and resorting back to her Iron Fan. But this time, no matter how hard she swooshes, Monkey is protected by the Bodhisattva’s orb and doesn’t budge. Overwhelmed, Princess capitulates and hands over her treasure.

Finally, Monkey flies back to his still-scorching Master Tang Monk and brethren at the foot of Fire Mountain. True to repute, a few waves of the supernatural fan extinguish the mighty flames. Our heroes continue on their sacred journey westward, but not before returning the treasure to its owner.

And for her part, Princess Iron Fan would go on to quench the anger in her heart and dedicate herself to her own spiritual cultivation journey. Eventually, she too obtains enlightenment.

The Shen Yun 2017 dance drama has adapted this episode of Journey to the West for the stage in length, number of characters, and sheer amount of Monkey shenanigans.

火焰山
“火焰山”的故事见于《西游记》，唐僧、猪八戒、孙悟空、沙僧师徒四人西行取经，路遇八百里火焰山横亘前路，孙悟空施计三借芭蕉扇。这一段故事占据整三章的篇幅，包含九九八十一难中的“路阻火焰山”、“求取芭蕉扇”和“收缚魔王”三难，其情节跌宕起伏，引人入胜；人物形象饱满生动，教无数读者津津乐道。

在第五十九回“唐三藏路阻火焰山，孙行者一调芭蕉扇”中，初时，师徒四人正行路时，忽觉气候由秋日寒天转为干旱炎炎，不知是什么缘故。八戒插科打诨，认为这是到了“天尽头”，再无路可走了。沙僧则认为这是天时不正，节令紊乱的缘故。后来，四人探访当地居住的人家，方知此处有八百里火焰山，四季皆热，草木不生，且横亘在西方路上，无人能过。

正在唐僧惊慌不定时，孙悟空得知想过火焰山，须求铁扇仙借芭蕉扇，芭蕉扇“一扇熄火，二扇生风，三扇下雨”。可是铁扇仙虽然也是修道之人，可她偏偏是红孩儿之母、牛魔王之妻，她认为悟空于她有夺子之恨，心怀怨忿，无论如何也不肯借扇。

于是悟空两次利用神通施巧计，行诈术，却两次都无功而返。在“孙行者一调芭蕉扇”中，悟空被盛怒之下的铁扇公主一扇子扇飞，飘荡了五万余里，恰好飘到灵吉菩萨居住的小须弥山，灵吉菩萨欣然拿出如来早已预备好的定风丹，交给悟空。悟空用定风丹抵挡住芭蕉扇的阴风，然后向铁扇公主再度恳求不成，变成小虫钻入铁扇公主腹中，威胁她交出扇子，铁扇公主却以假扇瞒过。

在第六十回“孙行者二调芭蕉扇”中，悟空幻化成牛魔王的样子从铁扇公主手中将真扇骗来，却教变换成猪八戒的牛魔王，同样以骗术将扇子夺回。

在第六十一回“孙行者三调芭蕉扇”中，牛王、悟空与猪八戒三人施展变化，为争夺芭蕉扇缠斗得天昏地暗，不分胜负，最后还是佛兵天将奉佛陀、玉帝的旨意下界助力，才最终降伏了牛魔王。

在这三章之中，蕴含著很多修炼的玄机。为何孙悟空水火不侵的铜皮铁骨也抵不住火焰山的烈焰？其实火焰山正是五百年前险些将孙悟空炼化的太上老君炼丹炉下的砖，孙悟空一脚踢翻炼丹炉，才酿成凡间八百里熊熊烈火。这正是种前因，结后果；为何孙悟空通天的本领也打不过人间的一个魔王？书中有诗句“牛王本是心猿变”，它道破了牛魔王本是应著孙悟空的心魔演化而来。在修行路上，唯有将心魔荡涤，才能得上西天，证悟佛果。

“西方有经，有经处有火，无火处无经。”金刚须百炼，修行者必心诚志坚。“火焰山”这一则精彩的故事背后寓意隽永，启发人修行的理悟。

文章来源：神韵官网。