The Immortal Peaches: A Story in Simplified Chinese and Pinyin, 600 Word Vocabulary

by Jeff Pepper, Xiao Hui Wang (Translator)

"The Immortal Peaches" is the third book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King", "Trouble in Heaven" and "The Young Monk". Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, is one of most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, his foolish mistakes, his sharp-tongued commentary and his yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films. In this, the third book in the "Journey to the West" series, we wrap up the story of Sun Wukong's early years, before he joins the monk Xuanzang's little band of travelers and journeys to the West. Once again the Monkey King's unlimited ambitions and uncontrolled appetites land him in deep trouble. He is given a job in heaven taking care of the Emperor's Garden of Immortal Peaches, but he can't stop himself from eating all the peaches. He impersonates a great Immortal and crashes a party in Heaven, stealing the guests' food and drink and barely escaping to his loyal troop of monkeys back on Earth. And in the end, he battles an entire army of Immortals and men, and discovers that even calling himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven does not make him equal to everyone in Heaven. The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. Additional study aids are on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Genres: China

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2019

About the author

I'm a writer and publisher living in Verona Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. My company, Imagin8 Press, has published over 100 fiction and nonfiction books for people learning to read Chinese. Our best sellers are an innovative English translation of the Dao De Jing and a 31-volume retelling, in easy Chinese, of the classic novel Journey to the West.

I’m also a lifelong science fiction fan, and started writing sci-fi seriously in 2024. I am delighted that my short story, “Spaceship of Fools,” was accepted by Bewildering Stories. My first full-length sci-fi novel, “Ascent to the Sun,” was published in April 2025.

Before embarking on my current career, I was in the software business. I founded and led three successful companies: ServiceWare, which began in my basement and went public on the NASDAQ; Touchtown, which was acquire by Uniguest; and Tunescribers. I have a degree in computer science from Carnegie-Mellon University, where I taught an undergraduate course in computer programming.

When not sitting in front of a glowing screen, you can probably find me playing competitive pickleball.

Reviews

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third volume in this Journey to the West series aimed at language learners. It covers Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the book, which includes events from Sun Wukong's return to heaven acknowledged with the title "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" through the conflicts that result from his lack of control and decorum to Buddha's bet with Monkey King.

I've enjoyed this series. The pinyin is interspersed with an abridged and linguistically simplified Chinese telling of the story on a paragraph basis, and the English translation is at the end. This allows one relatively quick access to the pinyin without continually cheating by stray glance. Also, one can determine whether one wants to read the English translation before or after reading the Chinese, as is appropriate to one's level and language learning strategy. The book also has a glossary of all the Chinese words it uses, and the words beyond the most basic (beyond HSK3, or so) are footnoted. (I read on kindle, so looking up translations of any words is as quick as highlighting them.)

This is a great language learning tool, featuring one of Chinese literature's most engrossing stories. I'd highly recommend it for those learning Mandarin Chinese with Simplified script.

[Helen (they or he) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're telling me this narrator told their child that Sun Wu Kong was "cooked" in a Volcano for 49 days...

[The Fool that doesn't belong · Rating 4 out of 5]

my fav volume up till now. Buddha is so cool lmao

[Jillian Altobella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great practice!

These books are a fantastic way to solidify Chinese vocabulary and improve reading comprehension. The pinyin is always nearby to remind readers of words they’ve forgotten, but the side-by-side format still allows for an authentic reading experience. I highly recommend this series!