The Monkey God (孙悟空 | Sūn Wù Kōng)
By Say Tian Hng Buddha Shop, a 6th-generation family business in Singapore that has been hand-crafting and restoring wooden statues of Daoist and Buddhist deities since 1840.
Every statue we craft is one of a kind, meticulously and lovingly made using traditional and secret techniques passed down through the generations in our family.Our customers are culture lovers, devotees and temples from Asia, Europe and North America.
They come from all walks of life. Some acquire them for worship while others to appreciate as collectible works of miniature art that express the ancient mystique, magic and allure of Chinese culture.
We ship internationally via
“My statue arrived in France in perfect condition. The quality is exceptional and the statue looks even nicer than what I expected from the photographs. I have visited many shops in Asia selling similar statues and I have to say that the quality of your work is far above!”
Joel D. from
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Proud owner of a 20-inch statue of Xuan Wu (玄武), the personification of the Northern celestial quadrant
"Hola and blessings from Spain! It was an honour to have a statue crafted by your family. I love it so much. I wish your family all the best and hope your lovely legacy goes on for many generations more. Keep growing and shining!"
Ricardo P. from
Madrid, Spain
Proud owner of a 10-inch statue of Laozi (老子), the founder of Daoism
Origin story
The Monkey God is perhaps the most iconic figure in Chinese mythology. Yet, many do not realise that beyond his demon-fighting superhero persona lies a far deeper character.
He represents the ancient concept of the Monkey Mind (心猿 / Xīn Yuán) — the Daoist and Buddhist concept of uncontrolled consciousness, where the restless, impulsive and distracted mind, jumping chaotically from one idea to another, resembles a monkey leaping from branch to branch. This mental chatter, craving and emotional turbulence is what keeps us from clarity, stillness and wisdom.
The Journey to the West, the 16th-century classic of Chinese literature in which Monkey God is the central figure, is a metaphor for this struggle of the human condition.
It can be read as not only a journey to a geographical destination, but an inner place, reached only by those who, like the Monkey God, tame their ego and overcome demons.
His iconography expresses his origin story but look carefully, and you realise it is an imagined collage. He wears armour, dons a circlet, wields a rod and holds a peach, but there is actually no point in the Journey to the West he actually looks like that. His iconographic features were acquired at different times of his life, but combined into a single image.
As king of Flower Fruit Mountain (花果山 / Huā Guǒ Shān), he wore warrior’s armour, but the migraine-inducing Golden Circlet (金箍 / Jīn Gū) clasped immovably around his head came only half a millennium later when he commenced his pilgrimage. By that point, he was dressed - appropriately so - not in regal armour, but in a pilgrim's humble robes.
This visual collage allows devotees to recall his epic story at one quick glance, and the many values they represent. The Golden Circlet reminds us of divine authority over individual impulses, necessary for us to achieve a higher purpose.
His protective powers are extraordinary: He wields a 7-ton Golden Hoop Rod (金箍棒 / Jīn Gū Bàng) and can traverse 54,000 km with a single leap, using a technique known as the Cloud Somersault (筋斗云 / Jīn Dǒu Yún).
The Peach of Immortality (仙桃 / Xiān Táo) he grasps is a forbidden fruit, representing temptation we must avoid.
In some depictions, instead of holding the Peach of Immortality, he holds up his palm above his brow, shielding his Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils (火眼金睛 / Huǒ Yǎn Jīn Jīng) from the sun as he scans for demons.
The Monkey God’s origin story is one of transformation — chaos tempered by discipline, rebellion yielding to wisdom. His image, rich in symbolism, serves as both a reminder of his mythic journey and a reflection of our human struggle for mastery over the self.
Through him, we see that true power is not just strength, but the ability to overcome one’s own nature.
It is an idea that is in his very name, "孙悟空".
While 孙 is a homophone for monkey, 悟 means "awakened" and 空 means "emptiness".
* Depending on your intended use, our statues can be consecrated or non-consecrated. If consecrated, the statues would be considered holy and be used for religious worship. Non-consecrated statues can be displayed as works of culture and art, expressing the same ideas and values but in a non-religious way.
How will it be crafted?
Handmade statues embody Daoist values
While both handmade and machine-made statues can be beautiful, handmade statues are often valued more highly.
Handmade statues are expressions of two foundational Daoist ideas: Wú Wéi (无为) and Zì Rán (自然).
Wú Wéi means effortless action, when one acts and moves in harmony with the natural flow of the universe, rather than through forcing and striving. It is what comes to life when one watches our craftsmen at work with their hands, using simple tools with great skill.
Zì Rán refers to the beauty of naturalness. One sees this in our statues which are not made from man-made materials like resin, but from an organic material from nature. One sees it too in the authenticity of hand-painted paint strokes, in place of the perfection one finds in mass-produced statues.
In our statues, these ideas become concrete, reminding devotees of the Daoist way of life, one that embraces flow and the embrace of imperfection.
Statues alive with Qì (气)
When a craftsman creates a statue by hand, they invest their time, effort, artistry, and care into the process. This human touch is believed to transfer Qì (气) - the universe's life force - into the statue, making it spiritually "alive" and differentiating the experience of worship.
This is especially so for statues made from organic material such as wood, which embody the Daoist principle of harmony with nature, and allow the flow of Qi to remain pure.
Holy statues adorned with holy ash
On our statues, you will find relief motifs of soaring dragons, blooming flowers and swirling clouds on the robes, head wear, and thrones. These are not carved. They are too intricate to be so.
Instead, they are made using a technique called thread sculpture (Qī Xiàn / 漆线).
Joss stick ash is collected, washed, turned into a dough, beaten into a fine thread with a spatula, then painstakingly twirled and coiled on the statue with bamboo sticks to create the motifs.
In other words, as the smoke from the joss sticks lifts your prayers to the gods above, the ash that falls is used to make the clothes of those very gods. The statue is now adorned with the holinesss of the ash.
With origins dating back hundreds of years to the early Qing Dynasty, it is today a disappearing art form. Even in China, where it originated, it has been designated a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Ensuring the stars align for you
In traditional statue-crafting, timing is sacred and ascertained based on the astrological cycle, not on human-determined rhythms of efficiency and convenience.
Important steps happens only after consultation with the Chinese almanac to identify an auspicious day and time based on the lunisolar cycle, an ancient astronomical system that factors both the moon’s phases (lunar) and the sun’s position (solar).
Such steps include the deconsecration of an old statue before restoration work can begin. a ritual known as Tuì Shén (退神), which translates as sending off the deity).
Another would be the opposite step, the consecration of a completed statue, a ritual known as Kāi Guāng (开光) , which translates as opening the light, an invitation for the spirit of the deity to dwell in the statue.
Note: For customers who intend the statues to be appreciated as works of culture and art rather than as objects of worship, we can skip the consecration ritual.
