Monkey King actor. Pic: Yu Qui

Chinese actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong, best known for his role as the ‘Monkey King’ superhero in the popular Chinese television series ‘Journey To The West’ held a press conference at Goldsmiths on Tuesday to promote his upcoming film adaptation of the series.

Liu Xiao Ling Tong talked about his career training at the Beijing Opera and what makes Chinese entertainment and performance arts unique.

The ‘Journey to the West’ television series and upcoming film are based on an adaptation of the classical Chinese novel of the same name published in the 16th century. The novel is a combination of political satire, folktale and history of the Chinese Han Dynasty.

“If you can understand the ‘Journey to the West’ novel, you can understand Chinese culture” said Liu Xiao Ling Tong.

‘Journey to the West’, the film, will be released in 2016 produced by Paramount.

Video by Yu Qui