You may not know it, but there are many deities from China. These include Pengzu, Xiwangmu, Shen Nong, and the Yang Gong. Learn more about these powerful deities and their mystical powers. Also, learn about the Yin Yang Gong.
Yin Yang Gong
The Chinese deities Yin and Yang represent opposing but complementary cosmos forces. They are positive and negative and perform two primary functions in the universe: generating entities through conjunction and regulating the functioning of the cosmos through alternation.
The earliest evidence of this deity dates from 142 CE, when Laojun (Lord Lao) appeared to Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master. He pledged to establish a community based on Daoist principles. This community, referred to as the Hanzhong School of Daoism, was led by Zhang Lu, who constituted an autonomous “theocracy” in Hanzhong in present-day Sichuan.
In Daoist tradition, the human body is believed to contain a pantheon of gods. These gods perform many roles within the body, allowing humans to communicate with the celestial realm. They also serve as administrators and guardians of the body’s various functions.
The child of Heaven should be nurtured by the person he inhabits. His red breath and yellow essence are associated with the Sun and Moon, and he should be nourished by the person who embodies them. The red child is the image of the “true self.” A practitioner of Neidan would create an “embryo” from his practices.
The Chinese deity Yin Yang Gong comprises two parts: shen and qi. The former represents the non-material entities, while the latter is the domain of matter and energy. Generally, she is prefixed with the word yuan, while the latter is prefixed with a term called xing.
Shen Nong
The Chinese deity Shen Nong is integral to Chinese culture and mythology. He is the God of birth and the defender of human life. He is also associated with agriculture and medicine. In addition, his lunar birthday, April 26, is celebrated with fireworks, incense, and animal sacrifices. In addition, he is the patron deity of rice farmers and rice traders.
Shennong was the father of traditional Chinese medicine, influencing people’s use of herbal drugs and helping to discover the therapeutic properties of herbs. He tasted hundreds of different plants to find their effects and medicinal value. His work ultimately led to the discovery of tea, the antidote to various poisonous plants. He is also revered as the inventor of the ax and the hoe.
The most famous work by Shennong is the Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic, compiled initially near the end of the Western Han Dynasty. It lists 365 different medicinal herbs, detailing their rarity and properties. The book is often considered China’s first pharmacopeia, reflecting the power and importance of the Chinese people’s herbal medicine culture.
The Chinese also worship the Shen Nong deity as the goddess of birth. The worship of Shen Nong is common in Taiwan and Fujian.
Xiwangmu
Xiwangmu is one of the most popular and oldest Chinese goddesses, appearing in the Daoist classic Zhuangzi in the fourth century BC. She is the patron goddess of women and is associated with immortality and long life. She may have also been popular in ancient Japan, where her image can be found in tombs from the Kofun period.
Xiwangmu is often depicted with children – in some myths, she was the goddess of children who protected the travelers in the Journey to the West. Her statues often have many arms and eyes, and her images are often misinterpreted. She is often shown on a lotus, accompanied by a boy with a bottle and a girl holding a willow twig.
Xiwangmu is also associated with the God of fertility. She is represented in many different paintings, including the famous Maruyama school’s renowned image of Xiwangmu. This artist was a nephew of Mori Sosen, one of the ten best students of Maruyama Tokyo. He specialized in bijinga paintings, which are pictures of beautiful women. He studied the techniques of the Maruyama and Mori schools to create a unique style. The soft folds of the goddess’s robes and expression are characteristic of his works.
Another popular Chinese deity is Cheng Huang, the Supreme Minister of Justice. He is the Soul of the Universe and the Jade Emperor’s nephew. Cheng Huang is also believed to be based on the historical figure Li Erlang, a water engineer during the Warring States period. His father, Li Bing, had invented irrigation in Sichuan.
Penzu
Penzu zhang xian is a Chinese deity and the God of childbirth. In ancient Chinese culture, the birth of male children was significant. Boys were suitable for farming and making money. Because of this, Zhang Xian was often the top God to pray to have a son who was the right match for a family.
This Chinese deity was also associated with the quest for immortality. In ancient Chinese legend, she grew up in Peach Mountain. The Monkey King stole her peaches, but her divine fruit remained. Her worship became so intense that it reached cult proportions in the later Han dynasty. The goddess is usually accompanied by two young girls who worship her, and she flies on a crane. Bluebirds and phoenixes also accompany her.
Penzu zhang xian, or Lady Ma, is a Daoist deity. She is often portrayed holding a gourd full of potions and is associated with the healing arts. Many caves and temples are named after her. She is also known for having long fingernails. Her long fingernails are a symbol of her power and healing.
Penzu is believed to be about 800 years old. It is also thought that Pengzu is the embodiment of the quest for immortality by Daoists. Many of these images of Pengzu are depicted in scenes with children, symbolizing a long and healthy life.
Ba Xian
The Chinese God of immortality, Ba Xian, is often depicted in paintings as a young woman carrying a peach of immortality. Other versions portray her holding a magical lotus flower, which symbolizes an open heart. There are many images of the Ba Xian, and some of them are very famous.
According to Chinese mythology, the Xian are extra-dimensional beings worshipped in Ancient China. These deities created the world, taught the mortals how to farm, and gave them medicinal plants. They also created the plow. After the Xian descended to Earth, Yu Huang united their realms, and Ba Xian was made Chu Jiang, a judge in the Feng-Tu court.
In addition to being the God of birth, Zhang Xian is the enemy of the triangle, a mythical dog that creates eclipses. In this way, the deity protects human children from the triangle. During the ancient era, many people sought the help of Zhang Xian to conceive a male child.
Ba Xian is also the patron saint of musicians and is said to be able to cure illnesses, especially of old age. Another legend states that he was a hermit in the 7th or 8th centuries who traveled with a white mule, which he reconstituted by drinking water.
Shangdi
Shangdi is a high god in Chinese religion. His name translates from Chinese to Wade-Giles as “Emperor Above” or “Lord On High.” It can also mean “Supreme God.” The high God was viewed as a composite ancestor who gave the ruling dynasty its power. In Chinese tradition, however, Shangdi is not represented by an image.
Despite being a transcendent god, Shangdi worked through lesser gods and was therefore considered too distant for mortals to worship him directly. However, Shang kings would claim that they could directly entreat Shangdi through their royal ancestors. Their oracle bones are also etched with records of their prayers and requests to Shangdi.
Throughout history, the concept of the mandate of Heaven has played an essential role in Chinese political and religious life. According to this theory, a high god in Heaven makes human society orderly and peaceful. Virtuous kings are appointed to govern the world, taking care of the people on behalf of the deity. In return, they are granted divine authority to rule.
The ancient Chinese viewed the dead as possessed of consciousness and prayed to the spirits of their ancestors for help in dealing with their problems on earth. In addition to praying to Shangdi, they also performed divination with oracle bones and prophets.
