Mazu's Consorts

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 29, 2015.)

Mazu's consorts at the Tianhou Temple in Chiwan, Shenzhen

One of the most popular folk figures in South China and its environs is Mazu, goddess of the sea. She is also popularly called "Tianhou" or "Empress of Heaven," a title given by the "Central Board of Rites" in 1720.

The Red-Faced Guan Yu

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 6, 2015.)

Guan Yu (center) and his sworn friends at Guan Di Temple, Shenzhen

Even if you've never visited a temple, you may have encountered a red-faced military figure with a long, side-swept black beard. He's commonly seen in shops and restaurants, as well as in different kinds of temples--Buddhist, Taoist, and folk.

Tu Di Gong, "the Earth God"

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 8, 2015.)

A Tu Di Gong platform under a tree in Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong

One of the most ubiquitous--yet often unnoticed--of all deities is the so-called "Earth God," known in Chinese as Tu Di Gong (土地公).

The Three Star Gods: Fu, Lu, and Shou

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 21, 2015.)

Fu, Lu, and Shou (R to L) at San Yuan Gong, Guangzhou

You might see three strange-looking men on a table somewhere in a Daoist folk temple, or they may be painted on a wall. One looks like a scholar; another wears the headpiece of a high government official; and the third has an oddly bulging forehead. These are the three deities known together as "Fu Lu Shou," said to be the earthly manifestations of three "stars" (one is actually a planet) and representing aspects of a good life.

The Five Immortals and Five Rams of Guangzhou

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 28, 2015.)

The Five Rams Statue in Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou

At the heart of Guangzhou's Yuexiu Park stands a statue of five goats or rams. The story goes like this:

The Door Gods

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on November 2, 2015.)

Door God statues at the Tian Hou Temple in Dapeng Fortress

Many Dao or folk temples feature a couple of fearsome warriors on their doors, placed there to keep out evil-doers. Although they're usually seen painted directly on the doors, or sometimes in the form of posters pasted on the doors, it is not uncommon to see statues of the Door Gods as well, similar to the statues of generals Heng and Ha at Buddhist temples.

Hua Guang, Opera Patron

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 18, 2016.)

Hua Guang in his temple in Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Like the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Buddhism, Daoist temples have their own protectors, the "Four Marshals." One of these is Ma Tianjun. He is known by many names, but in "Canton" (Guangdong) the most popular is Hua Guang. (The other three Marshals are Wang Shan, Zhao Gongming, and Wen Qiong.)

Wenchang Pavilion, Yangzhou

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 21, 2017.)

Wenchang Pavilion in Yangzhou, Jiangsu

When visiting a modern Chinese city, I often marvel at the way today accommodates yesterday--how the needs of people living there now are met while maintaining the past. Xi'an's Bell Tower, surrounded by a traffic circle, comes to mind. But the same effort has been made in other cities, albeit on much humbler scales.

The Mahakala "Black Cloak"

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Sep 4, 2017.)

The Mahakala called "Black Cloak" on a mural
inside the Lamasery at Splendid China, Shenzhen

It has been over 14 years since I first set foot in Chin. Since then I have traveled to nearly 100 cities. But I have never been to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. My first taste of it was at Splendid China and the Folk Cultural Villages in Shenzhen, where I was able to see a miniaturized Potala Palace, and enter--for the first time--a full-sized lamasery. (I have since been to several more, notably Beijing's Yonghe Gong and the Guangren Temple in Xi'an).

Caishen, the "God of Wealth"

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Sep 18, 2017.)

A statue of Caishen, the God of Wealth,
at the Tianhou Temple in Chiwan, Shenzhen

From time to time, one sees images of one of the more popular gods in today's China: Caishen is the "God of Wealth." I first encountered him at the very first temple I found on my own, the Tianhou Temple in Chiwan, Shenzhen.

Yama and the Ten Judges

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Sep 25, 2017.)

Souls are purified before Yama, the
Fifth Judge, at Zhiyuan Temple, Jiuhua Shan

The popular bodhisattva Kshitigarbha (in Chinese, Dizang Pusa) has vowed to save all souls out of the Six Hells assigned to each of the Six Realms of Existence.