Monkey King event concludes with dazzling showcase

The 2025 China Monkey Mountain Monkey King Competition and inaugural National Great Sage Cultural Arts Week concluded on Saturday in Jiyuan, Henan province, with a closing ceremony and gala featuring thrilling, culturally rich and nostalgic performances including kung fu, traditional operas, and song and dance numbers.

Actor Liu Xiaolingtong, in red, joins performers on stage during the 2025 China Monkey Mountain Monkey King Competition in Jiyuan, Henan province, Sept. 27, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Jiyuan Cultural Tourism Group]

"This event was unprecedented and had many highlights and spectacles," said Xu Yixian, secretary of the CPC Jiyuan Municipal Committee, at the closing ceremony. "Under the leadership of renowned artist Liu Xiaolingtong, a total of 262 Monkey King performers gathered in Jiyuan, creating a spectacular Guinness World Record cultural phenomenon. The Monkey King competition was brilliant, featuring the enduring charm of intangible cultural heritage Monkey King performances and breathtaking acrobatic feats, producing a high-quality cultural experience for the local community."

Among the highlights Xu mentioned was a new Guinness World Record for the "largest gathering of people dressed as Monkey King," officially set at Jiyuan's Wulongkou Scenic Area on Sept. 20. The national AAAA-level tourist site, known as China's "Monkey Mountain" as it is home to more than 3,800 macaques, also hosted the 2025 China Monkey Mountain Monkey King Competition, which crowned winners after four days of intense competition from Sept. 20-24. The week-long program also featured cultural exhibitions, artistic performances and cross-cultural exchanges.

"The convergence of the Monkey Mountain, Monkey Kings, Monkey King performances and monkey-themed entertainment presented a cultural feast blending nature and humanity, tradition and modernity, fully showcasing Jiyuan's charm and beauty and the wonderful local scenery," Xu stated.

Actor Liu Xiaolingtong, in red, poses on stage with the 2025 China Monkey Mountain Monkey King Competition winners in Jiyuan, Henan province, Sept. 27, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Jiyuan Cultural Tourism Group]

The evening gala featured an award ceremony for winners of the Monkey King competition, where China's most famous Monkey King performer Liu Xiaolingtong, whose real name is Zhang Jinlai, presented awards to recipients Zhang Xiaoyang, Sun Xu, Fan Wentong, Gao Jie, Gong Ruifen and Liu Rongkui. The winners were selected by a jury headed by Liu.

"Monkey King opera represents the quintessence of Chinese opera heritage. It must emphasize three key elements: the monkey's physicality, the divinity shaped by his experiences and human social dimensions," he explained. "In other words, three components are indispensable in a successful Monkey King performance — simian traits, divinity and humanity."

Liu told China.org.cn in an earlier interview that the event's gathering of diverse Monkey King operas and performers — rather than being merely a Liu Xiaolingtong impersonation competition — was unprecedented and aligned with his vision for all Monkey King art forms to thrive and flourish.

Later that evening, a dazzling array of performances unfolded, ranging from Shaolin kung fu and Xinjiang dance to magic tricks, Peking opera, and other Monkey King-themed repertoire in various operatic forms. The program also featured a nostalgic rendition of the beloved ballad "A Maiden's Love" from the classic TV series "Journey to the West," performed on stage by the song's original singer, Wu Jing.

Organizers and performers gather for a group photo at the end of the 2025 China Monkey Mountain Monkey King Competition and inaugural National Great Sage Cultural Arts Week closing gala held in Jiyuan, Henan province, Sept. 27, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Jiyuan Cultural Tourism Group]

Local authorities promised during the event that the municipal government and enterprises will continue developing Jiyuan into a premier tourism and leisure destination — a modern, trendy hub that embodies cultural heritage, fosters a vibrant cultural ecosystem and maintains a prosperous cultural market. They will also strengthen exchanges with domestic and international sister cities, jointly promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional culture.