In this popular Chinese folk tale, Sanshengmu is a goddess who falls in love with a mortal man and leaves the heavens for earth with her magical lotus lantern in tow.
But after seven years, Sanshengmu's older brother Er Lang is still furious at his sister's impropriety, finds her, captures her, and decides to imprison her beneath Mount Hua.
When Sanshengmu's son Chen Xiang discovers what has happened to his mother, he sets out to find the Monkey King, whose magical powers could set Sanshengmu free, to rescue his mother.
The story is based on the traditional Chinese folklore about a boy named Chenxiang. His mother is a goddess and his father is a mortal, but the little boy grows up without knowledge of his ancestry. When his uncle Erlang Shen, a strict and powerful god, kidnaps Chenxiang, his mother fights to save her son.
Unfortunately, his uncle is victorious and Chenxiang is forced to live in his palace on the sacred mountains. Erlang Shen then imprisons his sister beneath a mountain for her crimes. Although he is quite young, Chenxiang manages to escape from the palace, taking the magical lotus lantern that his mother lost during the battle.
After surviving adventures with many beloved characters of Chinese mythology, Chenxiang finally matures into a courageous boy who must battle his uncle to win his mother's freedom. |