Few may realize it but there are many interesting deities throughout the indigenous Chinese culture that are worth noting.
Chinese folk religion is composed of a combination of religious practices, including Confucianist ceremonies, ancestor veneration, Buddhism, and Taoism. Chinese folk religion also retains traces of some of its ancestral neolithic belief systems which include the veneration of (and communication with) the sun, moon, earth, heaven, and various stars, as well as communication with animals. It has been practiced alongside Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism by Chinese people throughout the world for thousands of years.
Ceremonies, veneration,
legends, festivals, and various devotions associated with different folk
gods/deities and goddesses form an important part of Chinese culture even
today. The veneration of secondary gods does not conflict with an individual's
chosen religion, but is accepted as a complementary adjunct to Buddhism,
Confucianism or Taoism. Some mythical figures in folk culture have even been
integrated into Buddhism as in the case of Miao Shan who is generally thought
of having evolved into the Buddhist bodhisattva, Kuan Yin. Other folk deities
may date back to pre-Buddhist eras of Chinese history. The Chinese dragon is
one of the key religious icons in these beliefs.
Gods and goddesses
There are hundreds of
gods and goddesses as well as "saints," immortals, and demigods. According
to the Pantao Yen Log or The Feast of the Immortal Peaches (????), the residency
of heaven is some 400 million strong, with the remaining 9.2 Billion souls
Yuanling (??) either in hell or on earth. Historical figures noted for their
bravery or virtue are also venerated and honored with their own festivals after
they are apotheosized. The following list represents some commonly worshipped
deities:
(Note: This list is
incomplete and should not be considered a full representation)
Guan Yu (??), the
red-faced, and symbol of trust, integrity, and loyalty, was a venerated living
from the times of the Three Kingdoms, who succeded in 1924 CE as the
seventeenth Jade Emperor or Yu Huang is respected as Guan Shengdi (???)
according to the contents of a book called Understanding Heaven and Hell
(????).
Baosheng Dadi (????),
the "Great Emperor Protecting Life." A divine physician, whose powers
extend to raising the dead. Worship is especially prevalent in Fujian and
Taiwan.
Cai Shen (?? "god
of wealth"), named Gongming Zhao, who oversees the gaining and
distribution of wealth through fortune. He is often the deified manifestation
of certain historical personalities. His shape is that of a giant blue
whiskered cat.
The Eight Immortals
(ba xian, ??) are important literary and artistic figures who were deified
after death, and became objects of worship.
Hu Ye (?? "Lord
Tiger"), a guardian spirit.
Jiu Wang Ye (???
"Nine Emperor God") is held over the first 9 days of the 9th lunar
month to celebrate the return from heaven to earth of the Nine Emperor spirits.
Mazu (??), the patron
goddess of sailors. Shrines can be found in coastal areas of Eastern and
South-Eastern China. Today, belief in Mazu is especially popular in the South
and South-East, including Fujian (??), Guangdong (??), Hainan (??), Taiwan
(??), Hong Kong (??), and Vietnam (??).
Qiye (?? "Seventh
Lord") and Baye (?? "Eighth Lord"), two generals and best
friends, often seen as giant puppets in street parades. 7 is black because he
drowned rather than miss his appointment to meet with 8, even though a flood
was coming. 8 has his tongue sticking out because he hanged himself in
mourning for 7.
Shangdi Shangdi (??)
(lit. Supreme Emperor) is originally the supreme god, synonymous with the
concept of Tian. This title/name was later applied to the supreme deity of
various religions, including Yu Huang Dadi and the Christian God.
Cheng Huang (??), a
class of protective deities: Each city has a Cheng Huang who looks after the
fortunes of the city and judges the dead. Usually, these are famous or noble
persons from the city who were deified after death. The Cheng Huang Miao (???)
or "Shrine of the Cheng Huang" was often the focal point of a town in
ancient times.
Sun Wukong (?????????
"The Monkey King" or "Great Sage Equaling Heaven") is the
stone monkey born from heaven and earth who wreaked havoc in heaven and was
punished by the Buddha under the five fingers mountain for 500 years. Released
by the Tang Monk, Xuanzang (or Tang Sanzang), he traveled under Xuanzang as his
disciple to the Thunder Monastery in the West (presumably India) for the
Buddhist scriptures to redeem himself. Depending on which version of the
Journey to the West legend, where Sun Wukong supposedly originates, Sun Wukong is
only sometimes referred to as an actual god.
Tu Di Gong (???, t? dì
g? ng), the "God of the earth", a genius loci who protects a local
place (especially hills), and whose statue may be found in roadside shrines. He
is also the god of wealth, by virtue of his connection with the earth, and
therefore, minerals and buried treasure.
Wenchangdi (???
"Emperor Promoting Culture"), the god of students, scholars, and
examination. He is worshipped by students who wish to pass their examinations.
Inept examiners in ancient times sometimes sought "divine guidance"
from him to decide rank between students.
Xi Wangmu (???), the
"Queen Mother of the West" who reigns over a paradisial mountain and
has the power to make others immortal. In some myths, she is the mother of the
Jade Emperor (??).
Yuexia Laoren (????
"Old Man Under the Moon"). The matchmaker who pairs lovers together,
worshipped by those seeking their partner.
Zao Shen (??|??), the
'Kitchen God' mentioned in the title of Amy Tan's novel, The Kitchen God's
Wife. He reports to heaven on the behavior of the family of the house once a
year, at Chinese New Year, and is given sticky rice in order to render his
speech less comprehensible on that occasion.
Zhisheng Niangniang
(???? "Birth-Registry Lady"). Worshipped by people who want children,
or who want their child to be a boy.
Please give your
thoughts on Chinese Folk Religion and its deities. Are there inspired or
similar deities in other religions that can be compared with the
gods/goddesses here?
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