One thing all religions have in common is the struggle to expand and adapt to new geographies and changing societies. To successfully globalize, a religion must adapt to the interests and concerns of the individuals concerned; If a religion does not change, it will disappear and be forgotten. It is this principle that led Buddhism to expand from a national religion of India to an international religion spanning the entire Asian continent. After some time of slow flight from the northern regions of India to the great Chinese civilization, the contrast between Buddhism and Confucianism began to attract the attention of the Chinese. It is this interest that has prompted curious individuals to undertake pilgrimages to India to learn more about the background and nature of the Buddhist religion. These particular pilgrimages, one of which is discussed in Monkey, took place along the Silk Road which stretched from northern China to most of India. (Wriggens, IIIX) The story of Xuanzang told in Monkey is one of the most important writings for the Chinese people because it represents a historical and informative reference for the foundations of Buddhism in China. The emergence of the folk tale of Monkey was an essential asset for Buddhist culture in China because it provided a transition between what was already accepted and what was unknown. The story was based on the pilgrimage of Xuanzang, a Chinese monk who traveled the Silk Road, exploring every facet of Buddhism he could encounter with pinpoint precision. It was believed that throughout his journey, "every place he turned seemed to present a story related to an event in the Buddha's life, the life of a... middle of paper... lost, and Buddhism would not have successfully transitioned to China. This reiterates the essential role the monkey plays in Chinese culture, not only helping to explain the new religion, but also gathering historical records of important forms of art and infrastructure in Buddhism. Works CitedMonkey, Wu Cheng-en, translated by Arthur Waley, Grove Press, 1943. A History of Chinese Literature, Lai Ming, Capricorn Books Edition, 1964. The Age of Confucian Rule: The Transformation of China's Songs, Dieter Kuhn, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009. Ping Shao, “Huineng, Subhuti, and Monkey's religion in Xiyou ji,” Journal of Asian Studies, 4(2006): 713-740. Buddhism in Chinese History, Arthur F. Wright, Stanford University Press, 1959. Buddhism: The Light of Asia, Kenneth KS Ch'en, Barron's Educational Series, Inc.., 1968.