To this day, no matter young or old, the word “Sun Wukong” is mentioned.
What appears in front of everyone’s eyes is still the clever monkey brother in the 1986 version of “Journey to the West”.
Six-year-old children acted out this monkey into the childhood of several generations.
After the performance, everyone called him “Great Sage” when they saw him, but they forgot his real name, Zhang Jinlai.
What many people don’t know is that beyond the scenes of this drama, there is also a quiet and long-lasting fate.
And the one who became attached to the “Great Sage” was the Queen of Tianzhu in the play.
She is Yu Hong.
Yu Hong comes from a military family. Before participating in “Journey to the West”, she was an actor in a cultural troupe.
In the summer of 1983, the crew was short of manpower, so director Yang Jie transferred her to take notes.
Record keeping is an inconspicuous but most grueling job:
Every time a shot is shot, a shot is deleted, or a shot is added, each shot must be written down on the set note.
Other actors would just call it a day and leave, but the recorders couldn’t do it. They had to finish the whole day’s recording before they could leave.
Therefore, Yu Hong is often the last person to leave in the crew.
Zhang Jinlai’s family was not in Beijing at that time, and he lived alone in the guest house of the crew.
After finishing work every day, he would watch Yu Hong still writing on the field notes under the lamp, and he would come over to chat with her for a few words.
Over time, the two of them chatted about work and life, and gradually became familiar with each other.
At first, no one thought that way.
Yu Hong actually has her own standards for her partner: wearing glasses and being too tall.
The Zhang Jinlai in front of him did not fit in at first.
But fate and good feelings are so magical sometimes.
After spending time together, Yu Hong saw Zhang Jinlai’s tenacity behind the camera.
I also saw the simple and warm nature in him, and gradually developed a liking for him.
What really brought the two hearts closer was an accident in the summer of 1985.
At that time, the crew was filming at Jietai Temple in the western suburbs of Beijing. Zhang Jinlai was accidentally injured, and the doctor asked him to stay in bed for several months to recuperate.
It is the most difficult time for a person to lie in a guest house recovering from his injuries.
Yu Hong couldn’t let go and didn’t care about the girl’s shyness. She sent him water, medicine and bought fruits every now and then.
He also deliberately picked out the literary books he liked to read and sat down at the bedside to convince him to rest peacefully.
With her company, Zhang Jinlai’s health gradually improved, and he gradually developed a good impression of Hong in his heart.
But the crew has a rule that you can’t fall in love during filming.
The two young people understood that the crew’s rules made sense, but how could a relationship be broken off at the drop of a hat? They could only hide it quietly.
During this period, Yu Hong accidentally lost her wallet.
That amount of money was not a small amount back then, and she suddenly panicked.
When Zhang Jinlai, who was not well-off, found out, he spent almost all his savings to help her overcome the difficulties first.
The hearts of the two became closer and closer through each incident.
It was not until “Journey to the West” was completed that the relationship between Zhang Jinlai and Yu Hong was made public.
In 1988, the two held a special wedding:
At that time, the “Journey to the West” Art Troupe was going to perform in Singapore. Zhang Jinlai was in Singapore and Yu Hong was in Beijing.
The two got married just like that.
After getting married, Yu Hong did not rely on her husband’s fame to stand in the spotlight.
She was originally engaged in the film and television industry, and later worked her way up to assistant director. She never grabbed the limelight or chased the popularity.
In those years, Zhang Jinlai’s life was not always smooth sailing. No matter what he played later, the audience subconsciously thought he was still Sun Wukong.
He himself was confused for a time, unable to get suitable roles for a long time, and fell into a trough.
The most difficult time was when Yu Hong supported him from behind, allowing her husband to choose his own path without any distractions.
Over the years, the couple has kept a very low profile, but their relationship has been flowing smoothly.
On the screen, Sun Wukong walks alone on the clouds and has vast magical powers.
In real life, behind Zhang Jinlai, Yu Hong has always been supporting him steadily.
Related Reading
- Hong Kong media revealed Naran and Huo Qishan’s wedding invitation! The two will hold a wedding on December 122026-11-12
- The winners of the 39th Golden Rooster Awards have been announced! Tony Leung Ka Fai and Gao Ye won the Best Actor and Actor respectively2026-11-11
- Huang Renxun admitted to cheating. The woman was very beautiful and had an unusual status. If he really wanted to divorce, he would be divided into hundreds of billions of dollars. Huang would also face three major problems.2026-11-09
- A supermarket chain in Henan put up a picture of its boss to cover up Mbappe and gave him a “red card.” Staff: The stickers were printed by the company to clean up the inventory of beverages with Mbappe’s picture on them.2026-11-08
- “Have a good life for the rest of your life”, well-known CCTV host Wang Xiaoya’s message on the hospital bed was tear-jerking2026-11-07
