Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West is a Chinese television series about the life of Wu Cheng'en and his inspiration for writing the novel Journey to the West. The series was directed by Kan Weiping and consists of a total of 45 episodes shot in high definition, each 45 minutes long and containing 10 minutes of 3-D effects. The original lead actors of the 1986 television series Journey to the West starred in Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West and reprised their roles: Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong, Chi Chongrui as Tang Sanzang and Ma Dehua as Zhu Bajie. Sha Wujing, however, was portrayed by Liu Dagang because the original actor, Yan Huaili, died in April 2009. It was broadcast by Shandong Qilu TV in July 2010.