It is based on the 16th-century novel Journey to the West.
There are 26 episodes (52 segments) in total, with a duration of about 22 minutes each (11 minutes per segment), along with a 75-minute prequel television film. In the Original 1998 Chinese edition of the series, there are instead 52 episodes with each segment being extended to a full half hour episode with added animation and dialogue, and the prequels making up episodes 1-7.
The production began in 1992. It has been regarded as a classic of Chinese animation.