Liu Xiao Ling Tong dancing with the Ruyi Jingu stick at the age of 65

In the program to meet veteran artists in the Spring of 2024, Liu Xiao Ling Tong reunited with Chi Zhong Rui (playing Tang Monk), Ma De Hua (Zhu Bajie) and Liu Da Gang (Sha Wujing). They performed a skit about Tang Monk and his disciples going to get the scriptures. Liu Xiao Ling Tong made the audience cheer when he reenacted the action of Sun Wukong spinning his Ruyi Stick.

Liu Xiao Ling Tong dancing with the Ruyi Jingu at the age of 65 — Liu Xiao Ling Tong (in red shirt) performs with the Ruyi Jingu stick. Video: *CCTV*

The video of Tang Monk and his disciples reuniting after more than 40 years moved many fans. On Weibo, viewers wrote: "They are the ones who created the classics, watching them brings tears to my eyes, remembering my childhood", "I still feel excited when watching Ngo Khong dance with his stick", " Journey to the West is a rare film that I have watched a hundred times without getting bored", "I didn't understand the meaning of the theme song before, but by the time I understood, I was no longer young, please ask where the road is, the road is under my feet".

Liu Xiao Ling Tong shows off his Ruyi Jingu stick dancing skills at the age of 65 — Chi Zhongrui, Liu Xiao Ling Tong, Ma Dehua, and Liu Dagang sing the soundtrack of "Journey to the West". Video: *CCTV*

At the beginning of the year, Liu Xiao Ling Tong participated in many art programs, giving lectures on traditional culture and the art of performing Monkey King in stage plays and movies.

At the end of 2023, the artist was one of 100 people awarded the Outstanding Craftsman Award, voted by Forbes China magazine. This award honors the spirit of painstakingly creating a quintessential product, emphasizing details and perfection in the product, both continuing tradition and expressing modern aesthetic concepts. The awardees work in the fields of art, baking, tea, and wine.

According to the organizers, Liu Xiao Ling Tong is familiar to the audience when he successfully created the image of Sun Wukong, helping him become one of the representatives of traditional Chinese culture. For over 40 years, the artist has chosen to do one thing and done it to the most perfect and delicate level possible, contributing to "awakening" the roots in young people.

Behind the scenes of Sun Wukong flying in — Behind the scenes of Liu Xiao Ling Tong playing Sun Wukong. Video: *Bilibili*

The artist's real name is Truong Kim Lai, born in 1959 in Shanghai. Linh Dong grew up in a family with an artistic tradition. At the age of 23, he joined the crew of Journey to the West directed by Duong Khiet, and since then, his career has been closely associated with the image of Ton Ngo Khong. In 1994, he founded a film production company and released cultural products. The company's logo is the image of Ton Ngo Khong of the actor.

In recent years, the artist often participates in television programs, giving speeches about novels and films about Journey to the West . His new films such as Tham tien, Dai nao thien truc - both related to the character Ton Ngo Khong - failed at the box office. Luc Tieu Linh Dong was criticized by some audiences for abusing classic characters and not creating anything new. However, many other opinions say that Luc Tieu Linh Dong's lifelong pursuit of a character and excellent performance of that character is something to be admired.

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