The Chinese have a variety of deity guardians to protect them from harm. Some of these guardians are incredibly fearsome. Yu Lei, for instance, was known to protect doors from thieves. His brother Shen Tu was also feared. These guardians were painted on the thresholds of doors.
Qin Shubao
Qin Shubao is one of the guardian deities of the Chinese emperors. The story tells of a fierce warrior who volunteered to guard the gates of the palace at night. He also fought alongside another warrior who was used to scare away ghosts. The emperors of the Tang dynasty honoured these figures and commissioned paintings of them. They are also depicted in a statue which was erected in the palace.
The story behind Qin Shubao is well known. He was one of the guardians of the Chinese army during the Sixth Century. In his time, he led an elite group to defeat five times larger rebel forces. After the battle, he was honored with a promotion to the rank of commander.
The doorway guardians in Chinese culture were known as “Menshen” or “Gods of Peaceful Sleep.” The concept dates back to the early Tang Dynasty (618-901 CE). Taizong, an emperor in the Tang Dynasty, was suffering from severe nightmares. He blamed his nightmares on evil spirits. Putting two trustworthy guards outside the doorway helped Taizong sleep better.
The first day of autumn is considered the most auspicious day of the year in China. Several deities are associated with this day. In addition to Guanyin, there is Chang’e, the goddess of the moon. This goddess was also a patron of fishermen and sailors. She is also one of the most popular deities in the country. She is revered by both men and women alike.
Historically, Chinese people have worshipped many different gods. Some of these gods developed later than others, but each of them is very important to the Chinese people.
Yuchi Gong
Yuchi Gong, Chinese deity guardian, was a famous emperor’s guardian. During the Tang dynasty, these deity guardians stood guard outside the Emperor’s bedroom door. According to legend, they slept soundly and did not disturb the Emperor’s dreams. They were portrayed in paintings that were hung outside the Emperor’s room.
The first depiction of Yuchi Gong is in the Liji (1591-1634), a work of religious art that shows the deity on a giant rooster. It is believed that he grants wishes and expels inauspicious men. In addition, the deity is also represented by three citrons, which represent three successive firsts.
The worship of door gods is a time-honored tradition in China. The first two door gods were Shen Tu and Yu Lei. Later generations adopted the images of heroic generals as door gods. Yuchi Jingde and Qin Qiong are two such examples.
In ancient times, door gods were used as doorway guardians to guard buildings and prevent evil spirits from entering. They were first created by Emperor Taizong and two loyal generals. These deity guardians are now widely used in Chinese architecture and design. They are believed to protect the building’s occupants from harmful influences and to attract positive energy.
Scholars have not been able to positively identify the twelve deities. Some suggest they represent the six ding or six jia combinations of the Celestial Stems. The passage can be found in the Gan chu sui shi ji 23b. There are also some reproductions of the painting available in Wang Shucun’s Zhongguo min nian hua shi tu lu (Wu Daozi’s Legacy).
The Yuchi Gong, also known as door gods, are a part of Chinese mythology. The gods were often painted on doorways, barring the passage of evil spirits. Door deities are usually painted in pairs. Several dozens of deities are worshipped in Chinese culture, including those from Taoism and Buddhism.
Mazupo
One of the Chinese deity guardians is Mazu, the goddess of the sea. She is usually pictured dressed in red, which is a color that represents divine power. She is also depicted holding a ceremonial tablet, and she wears an imperial headdress.
Mazu was born in 960 AD to an established family on Meizhou Island in Fujian Province. She showed great intelligence from a very young age. She was also a talented swimmer and was well known for saving the lives of local seafarers and coastal residents. One of the legends surrounding her death is that she was sacrificed at age 28 after a long life of helping people.
Mazu is the most influential goddess of the sea in China. She is the patron goddess of fishermen, sailors, and travelers. Mazu is also associated with Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy. She is a popular deity in coastal Chinese communities and is represented by numerous temples.
There are approximately 1500 Mazu temples located in 26 countries, mostly in the Sinosphere and in overseas Chinese communities. Taiwan is home to over 1000 Mazu temples. Most of these temples are Taoist, but some are Buddhist. Hong Kong is also home to some Mazu temples.
Lord Wenchang
Lord Wenchang, one of the deities of the Chinese culture, is also known as the ‘guardian of learning’. He blesses people who are successful in study and literature. He also blesses people who achieve high exam rankings. There are many legends about Lord Wenchang and he has several different titles. He was officially apotheoised by Yen Yu during the Mongol dynasty.
Lord Wenchang is often surrounded by children. He protects people who are on a journey. He is the protector of travelers, and is worshipped in coastal China and other parts of East/Southeast Asia. His statues have many arms and eyes. He also appears with a tiger’s teeth.
Lord Wenchang is also revered as the God of Literature. He was a Tang scholar who moved to Sichuan and became a god. His mysterious disappearance caused the people to worship him. The god is often portrayed as a wise serpent. Another famous figure in Chinese literature is Zhong Kui, who was an exceptionally talented writer but a horrible person. He threw himself into the sea to save his life, but a sea monster rescued him. His name translates to “God of Literature”.
In addition to being the God of War, Lord Wenchang is also the patron of martial artists and scholars. He is also associated with longevity. However, he is not the only Chinese deity guardian. There are countless others who can be worshipped to protect the Chinese from evil.
Another Chinese deity guardian, Lord Wenchang, is worshipped in temples of other deities. His image is often found on the front door of a house. People worship him in order to protect their home. They believe that he will protect them from bad spirits and keep them away.
Hengha Erjiang
Chinese deity guardians are commonly seen in a variety of settings. They often play an important role in visual art, literature, and religious imagery. In Buddhism, guardians are a common architectural feature of temples and monasteries, serving as protectors of the interior sanctity.
The door god is one of the oldest guardians of the entrance and is believed to keep evil spirits from entering the home. Usually two door gods are placed facing each other, but placing them back to back is considered bad luck. The concept of door gods was thought to have originated during the Tang Dynasty, when the Emperor honored two loyal generals by painting their portraits on the door. There are two primary types of door gods: literary and martial door gods.
