Wu Cheng'en

Wu Cheng'en, who used the courtesy name Ruzhong, was a Chinese novelist, poet and politician during the Ming dynasty. He is considered by many to be the author of Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. His dates are given variously, as about 1500 to 1582 or as 1505 to 1580. Journey to the West is counted among the classic Chinese novels. The courtesy name by which he is known is Ruzhong, and scholars have given two alternative sets of dates for his life, so the exact years of his birth and death remain uncertain.