Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

In 2025, in Xiangju Courtyard, the old man leans against his wheelchair, squinting his eyes.

Because of his old injuries, he couldn't even wave the palm-leaf fan anymore, and the fan he was holding fell to the ground.

Zhou Fangyuan seemed to have fallen asleep...

But when he woke up, he clearly felt that what was under him was not a wheelchair, but a hard, even prickly, object.

The rough, cool mat was still warm from my body and felt slightly damp to the touch.

Opening my eyes, I saw a patched mosquito net in the light, which was yellowed and had slight mold spots.

A unique aroma, a mixture of smoke, earthy smell, and the spiciness of dried chili peppers, belonging to the old house in the small mountain village built 82 years ago, filled my nostrils.

"This is……"

He stroked the old newspapers on the wall.

The realistic touch and the surge of power within his body made his heart pound.

This is not a dream, I have been reborn!

He quickly got up and went to find the person he most wanted to see at that moment.

"Mother and sister aren't home? They must be in the fields..."

"Is it almost noon? I seem to remember that I'm supposed to help out at my second uncle's house in the neighboring village today..."

As Zhou Fangyuan wandered around the small earthen house, memories of two different lives collided and merged in his mind like two intertwined streams.

Memories belonging to the "elderly" are bittersweet, surging back in waves.

In the summer of 1984, at the Lengshuijiang Opera Troupe, the casting director's eyes lit up with surprise.

"You're the most suitable person I've ever seen for this role!"

That sentence once illuminated his 22-year-old life like a ray of light.

He was the best martial arts actor in the troupe, handsome and refined, with an upright posture, as if a path to stardom was already laid out beneath his feet.

"Little White Dragon," the character who later became a sensation across the country and left an indelible mark on the hearts of countless people, was once so close to him.

Although Xiaobailong is a supporting character, he has very few scenes.

But for him at the time, it was a tremendous opportunity!

In those days, even local theater troupes had very few mirrors. He would even sneak out at night to practice in front of the mirror, studying every movement...

Just then, faint shouts came from outside.

"The car's here!"

"It seems to be a high-ranking official from Beijing. He said he's going to film something! Something like Journey to the West, and we're on our way to see it!"

Journey to the West!

These three words were like a thunderclap, splitting the chaos of memory and piercing the heart.

All the "later" moments became crystal clear in an instant, crashing into his mind with decades of regret.

On the hillside where his mother fell and was injured, he trembled as he resigned from his role to his superior.

Later, he settled for roles in two other projects, but no matter how hard he tried, he never achieved significant success.

However, in 86, when he was 24 years old, an accident occurred during a scene. The newly introduced wire harness suddenly broke, and he fell straight down from a height of 6 meters, which ended his acting career...

That fall meant he could never get up again.

The matchmaker always reported back, "It's a pity he can't stand up."

At her bedside at home, the mother's cloudy tears and dying words were: "My son is not bad, he just has a bad fate. I'm sorry..."

There are also heights that are still unattainable even after moving behind the scenes, and the stomach problems caused by overwork that are extremely tormenting in the quiet of the night...

The sharpest thorn was an interview I stumbled upon while watching videos in my later years.

The actor who ultimately played the White Dragon said casually, "When I heard it was a supporting role, I wasn't too keen on it. I felt it would lower my status, and I wanted to turn it down..."

Price drop...reject...

That opportunity he was willing to give everything for, that one he missed and cherished for a lifetime, that role that even became his greatest regret.

In other people's eyes, it was something that could be so easily rejected.

These memories came flooding back, and he barely managed to stand by leaning against the crumbling mud wall.

This also taught him a lesson he learned at the cost of his entire life.

Life requires countless efforts, but the opportunity to truly change one's destiny will only come once or twice.

He had already missed it in his previous life.

The noise outside grew closer, mixed with the roar of car engines and the excited chatter of more villagers.

Zhou Fangyuan suddenly snapped back to reality: Filming for Journey to the West! The Wave Moon Cave! His village wasn't too far from the Wave Moon Cave!

The film crew is currently in the village!

Even before the 86 version of Journey to the West was filmed, in 1978, Japan adapted Journey to the West to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This version of Journey to the West is popular in various countries, but the plot is extremely exaggerated.

The changes are outrageous: Tang Sanzang is a woman and has an ambiguous relationship with Sun Wukong; Jinjiao and Yinjiao are actually husband and wife; and so on.

Seeing their own classic works being wantonly ruined by outsiders, the country was in uproar, and the TV station received countless complaint letters every day.

Against this backdrop, a group of people shouldered the heavy responsibility, risking being criticized if the film wasn't made well, and produced a Journey to the West that belonged to our own people.

In my past life, regardless of age or gender, not many people disliked watching the 86 version of Journey to the West.

Children and elderly people especially love it; they wish it could be on TV every day.

I remember the villagers saying that the Journey to the West film crew visited their village, right now!

This is another chance from God!

But it's mid-August 1982. The film crew should have just finished filming the pilot episode of "Exorcising Demons in Wuji Kingdom" in Yangzhou. How could they have crossed provincial borders to come to this village?

Without thinking much, Zhou Fangyuan suddenly raised his head and looked at the dazzling sunlight outside the window.

The cloudiness and weariness that once belonged to the elderly quickly faded from his eyes, replaced by a burning intensity and determination.

This time, we can't miss it again!

He quickly went outside and saw many people rushing towards the village entrance.

The open space at the village entrance was even more lively than during the Spring Festival.

A tractor, a jeep, and a Jiefang brand truck were parked there.

The number of animals was not large, but it was a novelty to the villagers. They chattered in a dialect that the film crew couldn't understand, watching from a distance, both curious and hesitant to get too close.

Next to production team leader Wang Bo, a man who looked like a cadre was busy giving instructions.

The sounds of equipment being moved and unloaded mingled with shouts and loudspeaker noises.

He quickly caught up with the crowd, and a long-lost power surged through his body, making him feel excited.

He hadn't felt this good in 39 years since the accident!

He thought that after so many years, he would have long since let go of the past.

But how could this be! How could I be so full of vigor at 24?

But later he could only sit on a simple wooden chair and watch helplessly as young actors of similar age appeared and performed.

Only she knows how unwilling she truly is.

He squeezed into the crowd, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat.

"No, how can you be so reckless? Being so hasty won't be well-received by the production team leaders. Don't rush... calm down..."

"The village is still some distance from Boyue Cave. The crew just arrived, which means they're only here to rest and haven't finished filming yet. I'm not short of time right now!"

Years of experience helped him quickly calm his excitement.

Zhou Fangyuan tidied up his old clothes, but then he encountered a problem.

"There are too many people, I can't see anything. How can I become a familiar face?"

Zhou Fangyuan's gaze was intense.

He wanted to meet Liu Xiaoling Tong, to see those living legends who were turning the legends into reality!

I want to see with my own eyes how, in this era, they were able to create this classic, which will be etched into the bones of hundreds of millions of people, from scratch with just a surge of passion.

The thought made his heart burn.

Just then, a hurried voice interrupted him.

"Comrades, may I ask if there is a clean water source nearby?"

We have several costumes that got muddy during transport, so we need to wash them quickly, otherwise it will delay the subsequent filming!

"We also need to cool down the equipment. In this weather, the machines are almost overheated; just fanning them isn't enough!"

"If anyone knows, please help us out! Just tell us!"

The young woman, slightly out of breath and with a look of anxiety on her face, shouted to the onlookers.

Zhou Fangyuan, standing in the crowd, instinctively shouted, "I know where there's a usable water source!"

He finally squeezed his way closer and, after seeing the person clearly, remembered who she was.

"Is this the actress who plays the Jade Rabbit?"