The Water Margin

Shuilian Cave (simplified Chinese: 水帘洞；traditional Chinese: 水簾洞；pinyin: Shuĭliάn Dὸng), literally meaning Water Curtain Cave, is an area featured within the novel Journey to the West written in the Ming Dynasty. Shuilian Cave had been featured since the first chapter of this novel. Very early on, Sun Wukong would become the king of this cave and it would generally be used for all the monkeys to train within and generally rest. Before such an event, Wukong, with his bravery, nominated himself to be the monkey that would rush through the Mount Huaguo’s great waterfall in order to see what was behind it. He discovered Emerald moss piled up in heaps of blue, White clouds like drifting jade, While the light flickered among wisps of coloured mist. A quiet house with peaceful windows, Flowers growing on the smooth bench; Dragon pearls hanging in niches, Exotic blooms all around. Traces of fire beside the stove, Scraps of food in the vessels by the table. Adorable stone chairs and beds, Even better stone plates and bowls. One or two tall bamboos, Three or four sprigs of plum blossom, A few pines that always attract rain, All just like a real home.