The Monkey King Rises at San Francisco Opera

Bay Area Chinese Heritage Shines
November 30, 2025

By Samantha Lee, CHCP Member

Honoring Chinese Legends, Diaspora, and Artistry

In a historic moment for Bay Area arts and the Chinese American community, members of the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (CHCP) joined a sold-out audience at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House for the world premiere of The Monkey King, a new opera composed by Huang Ruo with a libretto by David Henry Hwang. This landmark event brought the mythic journey of Sun Wukong (Journey to the West) into a new era and to new audiences, forging connections between tradition, innovation, and intergenerational storytelling.

Setting the Stage for Anticipation and Representation

Even before the curtain rose, guests filled the grand lobby to view works by local artists, while families shared their own Monkey King stories—some told in Mandarin, others in English, Cantonese, or Toisanese. Grandparents pointed out program highlights to grandchildren. Teenagers discussed Asian and Asian American talent taking center stage at an American opera house. Audience anticipation for the costumes, projections, and puppetry was also palpable. Throughout the production’s run, SF Opera expanded its outreach through school workshops, public markets, and a livestream, extending representation beyond traditional opera-goers into the city’s neighborhoods.

A Brief Synopsis of the Story

Guanyin and Bodhisattvas chant Buddhist sutras as they watch over the story of Monkey, who has been imprisoned beneath the Five-Element Mountain for five centuries, yearning for freedom and redemption. He escapes by bursting from the stone and leads a tribe of embattled monkeys, becoming their leader through courage and resourcefulness, symbolizing the search for community and identity. Monkey seeks enlightenment under Master Subhuti, earning the name Sun Wukong and mastering the 72 Transformations, but his teacher warns that power alone is insufficient. His quest for a weapon takes him to the Dragon Palace, where he acquires a magical staff, causing chaos and demonstrating the consequences of his actions. Heaven’s gods, corrupted and complacent, attempt to tame Monkey with flattery and a hollow title, but he rebels upon seeing the suffering of Heavenly Horses, drawing heaven’s wrath. Furious at rejection and craving acceptance, Monkey defies heaven by leading his people and eating the Queen Mother’s peaches of immortality. 

Sun Wukong, proclaimed as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, leads a celestial rebellion against Heaven's armies, demonstrating wit and resilience in battles filled with music, puppetry, and martial arts. Captured and subjected to fiery trials, he emerges more powerful. He destroys the heavenly forces, only to realize through Buddha’s challenge that true strength lies in humility, care, and connection rather than power. Ultimately, guided by Guanyin's compassion and his own introspection, Monkey is freed from his pride and prison, embarking on a journey of peace, caring, and service to all beings.

Art as a Bridge

Throughout the performance, audience members—elders, parents, students—were moved by the opera’s interweaving of music, martial arts, humor, and spirituality. Children laughed at Monkey’s mischief, adults reflected on the lessons of pride and humility, and all felt pride seeing a Bay Area stage animated by the full richness of Chinese myth and Asian American artistry.

The production’s creative leadership and cast, which were majority Asian and Asian American, were themselves a landmark for representation. The bilingual storytelling and accessibility efforts ensured that audiences of all backgrounds could claim a place in the opera’s magic and meaning.

CHCP recognizes The Monkey King not only as an artistic achievement, but as a living bridge—linking Chinese legend to contemporary identity, connecting generations, and celebrating the ongoing evolution of heritage in the Bay Area. Special thanks to all the CHCP members who attended, brought family, shared stories, and supported cultural arts.

“To see Sun Wukong’s journey on stage was more than entertainment—it was a reconnection. We carry these stories forward, not just for heritage’s sake, but for pride, healing, and hope.”

For more of CHCP’s ongoing programming, visit chcp.org or follow @CHCPorg on Instagram and Facebook.

CHCP proudly promotes, educates, and preserves Chinese and Chinese American history in Santa Clara County and beyond.