梦游敦煌

Emperor Taizong's Journey to the Underworld is a legendary tale from classical Chinese novels, first appearing in the Tang Dynasty's "Chaoye Qianzai," and later adopted by the Ming Dynasty novel "Journey to the West" as the origin of the story of Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage to the West. The story tells of the Jinghe Dragon King, who, after betting with Yuan Shoucheng and altering the rainfall against the Jade Emperor's decree, was beheaded in a dream by Wei Zheng. The Dragon King then harassed Emperor Taizong, leading to the emperor's soul journeying to the underworld. This experience prompted Emperor Taizong to hold a grand Buddhist ceremony after his resurrection, thus setting the stage for the grand narrative of Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage. Research indicates that this story was initially unrelated to "Journey to the West" and mainly depicted the events of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Later, it was gradually incorporated into the "Journey to the West" system, becoming an essential part of the pilgrimage story. Additionally, other works like "The Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties" have adapted this story, emphasizing the plot of Emperor Taizong being troubled by ghosts after killing his brothers to seize the throne. This story has not only been widely circulated in novels but has also been adapted into various art forms such as Peking opera, movies, and TV series. Notably, the Zhang Jizhong version of "Journey to the West" once filmed this plot but it was later deleted due to its depiction of feudal superstition. The "Tang Taizong's Journey to the Underworld" found in the Dunhuang caves also records the Xuanwu Gate Incident, providing valuable historical data for studying the evolution of this story.