Chinese Cultural Traditions: Dui Lian (Couplets)
Dui Lian (Couplets, 对联) are a treasure of traditional Chinese culture and a unique art form of the Chinese language with one character and one sound. As a custom, it…
Chinese Mythology: Door Gods
The Men Shen （门神） is a deity that guards the door in Chinese folk beliefs. It is a popular guardian deity in Chinese Han folklore, and is affixed to the…
The Four Sea Dragon Kings（Si Hai Long Wang）
I. Core Characters Overview I. Ao Guang, East Sea Dragon King Appearance: Gold-scaled armor, tasseled dragon whiskers, coral-like horns, and eyes like deep ocean whirlpools. Abilities: Controls tides, summons storms,…
Chinese Mythology: Hou Tu Niang Niang
Hou Tu (后土), the central god in ancient Chinese mythology who aided Zhong Yang Tian Di (the central heavenly emperor, 中央天帝) Huang Di (黃帝), is one of the honored deities…
Chinese Mythology: Winter God Yu Qiang (Xuan Ming)
Yu Qiang （禺强） is the god of the sea, wind, plague and the north in Chinese mythology, also known as “Xuan Ming, 玄冥”, the grandson of Huang Di (the Yellow…
The Golden Warrior of Time: Ru Shou, God of Autumn
I. Divine Profile Alternative Names Jin Zheng (God of Metal), Xi Huang (Western Emperor), Shou Shen (Harvest Keeper) Appearance Tiger-bodied with golden scales, red serpent coiled around left ear, holding…
Spring God Gou Mang: The Eastern Deity of Vitality
Ⅰ. A Comprehensive Look at Gou Mang’s Image 1. Distinctive Physical Features Gou Mang embodies a unique blend of human and avian traits, with a bird’s body and a human…
Chinese folktale: Birds Pay Homage to Feng (the Phoenix)
Feng (凤) refers to Feng Huang (the phoenix, 凤凰), the king of birds in ancient legends. In the olden days, it was a metaphor for a wise and holy monarch…
Chinese Folktale: The Long King Loses Chess
This is a folk tale of human beings’ victory over the immortal gods in chess, expressing the spirit of people’s courageous challenge and defiance. In the East Sea, there is…
Chinese Mythology: Wu Fang Tian Di
Wu Fang Tian Di (The Five Heavenly Emperors, 五方天帝) refer to the Heavenly Emperors in the five directions of East, South, West, North, and Central in ancient Chinese mythology. Wu…