With deep roots in Eastern philosophies, Chinese mythology intertwines with the country's history, influencing art, literature, spiritual practices, and even video games.

As scholar of Chinese religions Meir Shahar notes, novels such as “Journey to the West” served as a way to define and transmit an entire pantheon of deities all across the various regions of ...

Chinese deity Erlang from a 15th-century scroll. Via Wikimedia Commons In the novel, the gods work together to stand in the way of Sun Wukong, representing the authority of the Chinese pantheon ...