Ao: The Four Dragon Kings Ao Chi’in, Ao Kuang, Ao Jun and Ao Shun – Gods of rain and sea. Subjects of the Jade Emperor.
Ba Xian: The eight immortals of the Taoist mythology. They are the symbols of good fortune throughout China; They represent eight conditions of life: Youth, Old Age, Poverty, Wealth, The populace, Nobility, The masculine, The feminine
Ba: Daughter of Heaven; She signifies drought
Bixia Yuanjin: Goddess responsible for dawn, childbirth and destiny
Cai-shen: God of prosperity
Cao Guo-jiu: One of the Ba Xian; Patron of actors
Celestial Kings: Guardians of the four quarters of the world
Ch-ang O: Queen of the moon; moon goddess
Ch’eng-Huang: God of moats and walls. Every village and town had its own Ch’eng-Huang, most often a local dignitary or important person who had died and been promoted to Godhood
Chih Nu: Daughter of Yu-Huang; She became one of two gods of two separate stars
Chuang-Mu: Goddess of the bed and sexual delights
Chu Jiang: King of the second of the Taoist Hells (Hell of Thieves and Murderers); He is honoured on the first day of the Third Moon
Chu Jung: God of fire. Chu Jung punishes those who break the laws of heaven.
Da-yu: Mythical founder of the Xia Dynasty; Son of Gun
Dha-shi-zhi: “The Strongest”; Female Bodhisattva of Chinese Buddhism
Di-cang: “Womb of the Earth”; One of the four great Bodhisattva’s. He liberates those who dwell in the various hells
Di-guan: Ruler of the Earth; He is one of the three San-guan; He forgives sins and transgressions
Di-ya: Along with Tian-long these chinese deities are the servants of Wen Chang
Dong-yue da-di: “Great Ruler of the Eastern Mountain Top”; Helper of the Sky God Yu-Huang; He supervises the aspects of the lives of all creatures
Dou-mu: “Mother of the Great Wagon”; Chinese Goddess; She supervises the register where the life and death of each person is registered
Erh-Lang: God of protection. He chases away evil spiritsby setting the Tian-gou (hounds of heaven) to attack them
Fan-kui: God of butchers
Fei Lian: God of wind
Feng Bo: Earl of Wind. He is the human form of Fei Lian
Feng-Po-Po: Goddess of winds. Symbolises the elements of air and water, storms precipitation and moisture
Feng-huang: Chinese Phoenix; It is the personification of the primordial force of the heavens
Fu-Hsi: God of agriculture and vegetation
Fu-Hsing: God of happiness. Sacred animal was the bat and he symbolises destiny, fate, love, happiness and success
Fu Xi: First of the three noble emperors, the San-huang
Fu-xing: “Lucky Star”; God of happiness. He is one of the San-xing
Gao Yao: Ancient god of judgement
Gong De Tain: Goddess of luck
Gong Gong: Chinese demon that is responsible for the great floods
Gou Mang: Messenger of the Chinese Sky God; He is associated with the east; He brings happiness and spring; His attribute is the Dragon
Guan-di: Taoist God of War. He has the task of guarding the realm against all external enemies
Guan-yin: Chinese Bodhisattva (Buddhistic Prophet) of whom childless women go to him for help
Gui: Term for the spirits of the dead. Meaning ghost, spirit or demon
Gui Xian: One of the Ling (the four magical chinese beings); He is a turtle and symbolises happiness
Gun: Earth God
Hac Tao: “Black Way”; This is the common term name used for the range of wicked tricks within Chinese spiritualism
Han: River God; He is the personification of the river Han
Han Xian-zi: One of the Ba Xian; He has a variety of supernatural abilities and a stormy temper
He Bo: Powerful River God; Brother to Heng O
He Xian-gu: One of the Ba Xian, she is the only female; She was made immortal after grinding a stone “mother of clouds” into powder and consuming it
Heng O: Moon Goddess; She is the symbol of the cold and dark yin; Wife of Shen Yi
Hou-Chi: God of harvest and agriculture
Hou Ji: God of Millet
Hou Tu: God of Earth and soil; Sovereign Earth
How-chu: God of Air
How-too: Ancient Earth God
Hu Jing-de: Guardian God (one of the Men-shen)
Huang Fei-hu: Originally an Earth God, but later transformed into a Mountain God; He judges the souls of the deceased who go to the holy mountain of Tai Shen
Huang-chuan: The Underworld to which the souls of the yin return after death
Huang-di: One of the legendary Chinese Emperors
Huang-lao: Taoist Deity
Huang-lao-jun: Taoist Deity; Main God of the Way of Supreme Peace
Hu-Tu: Earth Goddess. Patroness of fertility, her element is earth
Hsuan-T-ien-Shang-Ti: God who removes evil spirits and demons
I-Ti: God of wine
Ji Nu: Stellar Goddess
Jian Di: Ancestral Mother, she gave birth to the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty when she accidently swallowed a multi-coloured swallow’s egg
Jian Lao: God of Earth and permanence
Jin Jia: One of several patrons of Chinese Literature
Ki-lin: Mythical Being; It is comparable to the unicorn in western mythologies; It personifies all that is good, pure and peaceful; This is one of the four Ling
Kue-i-Hsing: God of safe travels, tests, literature and students
Kuan Ti: God of war. The Great Judge who protects the people from injustice and evil spirits
Kuan Yin: Goddess of mercy and compassion
Kui-xing: Stellar Deity
Kwan Yin / Kwannon: Goddess of mercy and compassion. A lady dressed in white, seated on a lotus and holding an infant
Lan Cai-he: One of the Ba Xian
Lao-Tien-Yeh: Great God
Lei Kung: God of thunder. Lei Kung has the head of a bird, wings, claws and blue skin
Lei-zi: Goddess of thunder
Li-Tie-guai: One of the Ba Xian; He was taught how to become immoratal by Wang-Mu
Li T’ien: First known user of fireworks against demons
Ling Xiao Bao Dian: The Celestial place where Yu-huang and the other main gods confer to discuss matters
Ling-bao tian-zong: Heavenly venerable of the Magic Jewel. He is the ruler of the second Taoist heaven Shang-qing; Considered the guardian of magical writings
Ling-guan: Transcendental official; Guardian of the palace of Yu-huang
Liu Bei: God of basket-makers and straw-shoe-sellers
Lo-Shen: Goddess of rivers
Long: Dragon of chinese mythology. There are five known types of Chinese Dragons;
Celestial Dragons: They guard the abodes of the Gods
Dragon Spirits: They rule over the wind and the rain, however they can cause floods
Earth Dragons: They cleanse the rivers and deepen the oceans
Treasure Dragons: They guard the treasures of the Gods
Imperial Dragons: These have five claws rather than the typical four which offsets them as important
Long-wang:(Also known as the Dragon Kings)These are ruled by Yuan-shi tian-zong; They rule over funerals and rain. There are various catergories of long wang;
Celestial Dragon Kings
Dragon Kings of the Four Oceans: They live at the bottom of the oceans in magnificent palaces
Dragon Kings of the Five Cardinal Points
Lu Ban: Patron of Carpenters
Lu Dong-bin: One of the Ba Xian
Lu-Hsing: God of salaries, wages and employment. He symbolises prosperity, success, earned wealth and justice
Lu-Pan: God of carpenters and masons. Symbolises artistic talent and fame
Lu-xing: Stellar Deity; The Star of honour/status; He is one of the San-xing
Ma-Ku: Goddess of spring
Ma Wang: Protector of horses
Ma-mian: Bureaucrat of the underworld
Men-shen: “Gods of the doorways”; These are two gods who guard the double doorway of a domestic dwelling, or a public dwelling
Meng-Po-Niang: Goddess who stood at the gates of hell and administered a potion that wiped the memory of past lives from each soul
Mo-hi-hai: God of water
Mo-Hou-Lo-Chia: Dragon King. Deity of all waters
Mu Gong: God of immortality. He is the embodient of Yang, the male counterpart
Mu-king: God of fire
Mu Kung: Spirit of the woods. One of the Wu-Lao or the spirits of the five natural forces
Niu Wang: Guardian of cattle
Niu-you: Spirit constable for the Yama Kings
Nü-gua: Creator Goddess
Nu Kua: Goddess who created mankind. Half human/half serpent. She is associated with rain, ponds, pools and moist creatures
Pa: Goddess of droughts
Pa-cha: God who protects the farmers from locusts
Pa Hsien: The Eight Immortals of the Taoist tradition. Ordinary mortals who, through good works and good lives, were regarded by the Queen Mother Wang by giving them the peaches of everlasting life to eat. They are:
Li Tieh-Kual: Li of the Iron Crutch. A healer, Li sits as a beggar in the market place selling wondrous drugs, some of which can revive the dead.
Chung-Li Ch’uan: A smiling old man, always beaming with joy, he was rewarded with immortality for his ascetic life in the mountains.
Lan Ts’ai-Ho: A young flute player and wandering minstrel who carries a basket laden with fruit. His soul-searching songs caused a stork to snatch him away to the heavens.
Lu Tung-Pin: A hero of early Chinese literature. Renouncing riches and the world, he punished the wicked, rewarded the good, and slew dragons with a magic sword.
Chang-Kuo Lao: An aged hermit with miraculous abilities. Chang owned a donkey which could travel at incredible speed. The personification of the primordial vapor which is the source of all life.
Han Hsiang-Tzu: A scholar who chose to study magic rather than prepare for the civil service. When his uncle chastised him for studying magic, Han Hsiang-Tzu materialized two flowers with poems written on the leaves.
Ts’ao Kuo-Chiu: Ts’ao Kui-Chiu tried to reform his brother, a corrupt emperor, by reminding him that the laws of heaven are inescapable.
Ho Hsien-Ku: “Immortal Maiden Ho”. A Cantonese girl who dreamed that she could become immortal by eating a powder made of mother-of-pearl. She appears only to men of great virtue.
Pakua: Original reference for the eight divisions of the Chinese Compass; Also three other forms;
Refers to a luck symbol
Traditional Martial Art, one of many forms of Chinese Boxing
In Macau “pakua” refers to an incredibly curious person
Pan Jin Lian: Goddess of fornication and prostitution
Pan-gu: Primordial Chinese Giant who was born as a dwarf from the cosmic egg
Peng-lai: Island in the East China Sea, it is believed to be inhabited by the Immortals (Ba Xian)
Peng-zi: A figure that represents Longevity
Phan Ku: Creator God who formed the mountains, valleys, oceans and rivers on earth. When he died his skull became the sky, his breath became the wind, his voice the thunder, his arms and legs became the four cardinal points, his flesh the soil and his blood the rivers.
Pi-Hsai Yuan Chin: Goddess of childbirth and labour
Qi Gu-niang: “Seventh Lady”; She is worshipped by all girls who want to know who they will marry; Daughter of Yu-huang
Qin-shu-pao: One of the guardian gods of the double doorways. He is one of the Men-shen
Ran-deng: Chinese beggar woman. She later becomes a Buddha
Ru Shou: Messenger for the sky god; He is associated with the west, autumn and misfortune; The dragon is his attribute
San-guan: “Three Rulers”; the names for three taoist deities; These are Tian-guan, Di-guan and San-guan
San-huang: Name of the three legendary emperors
San-qing: “The Three pure ones”; The names of the first three taoist heavens and the three deities that inhabit them’
Yu-qing: The Heaven of Jade Purity. This is inhabited by Yuan-shi tian-zong
Shang-qing: The Heaven of Great Purity. This is inhabited by Ling-bao tian-zong
Tai-qing: The Heaven of the Highest Purity. This is ruled by Tao-de tian-zong
San-xing: Three Stellar Gods of good fortune; They are;
Fu-xing: The Lucky Star
Lu-xing: Star of Honour
Shou-xing: Star of Longevity
Sao-Ts’ing Niang: Goddess of clouds and the end of the drought
Sengen-Sama: Goddess of the sacred mountain Fujiyama
Shachihoko: Chinese sea monster. It has the head of a tiger and the body of a fish
She-di: Patroness who guards certain large areas and its inhabitants
Shen-nung: God of agriculture, pharmacy, medicine and health. He symbolises the element of Air
Shen Yi: “Heavenly Archer”; Sun God. Husband of Heng O; Fei Lian is his eternal enemy
Shi-Tien Yen-Wang: The Lords of Death, the ten rulers of the underworld; Each ruler presides over one court of law.
First court: a soul is judged according to his sins in life and sentenced to one of the eight courts on punishment; Misers are made to drink molten gold, liars’ tongues are cut out.
Second court: Incompetent doctors and dishonest agents are sent here.
Third court: Forgers, liars, gossips and corrupt government officials.
Fifth court: Murderers, sex offenders and atheists.
Sixth court: The sacrilegious and blasphemers.
Eighth court: Those guilty of filial disrespect.
Ninth court: Arsonists and accident victims.
Tenth court: Wheel of Transmigration where souls are released to be reincarnated again after their punishment is completed. Before souls are released, they are given a brew of oblivion, which makes them forget their former lives
Shou-Hsing: God of long life and old age. Symbolises longevity
Shou-lao: Taoist god of luck and long life
Shou-xing: Stellar Deity
Shui-guan: One of the San-guan. He is the ruler of water
Shui-Khan: God who defends men against evil and forgives their wrongdoings. He symbolises forgiveness, aversion of evil and the element of water
Shun: One of the Wu-di, the five legendary emperors
Si-ming: The Lord of Fate. He determines the life span of each individual
Siu Yan: Victims of someone’s curses. These Siu Yan are usually women
Song Di: King of the Third Hell. People sent here are guilty for unfilial behaviour, disobedience, disloyalty, and rebellion. He is honoured on the eighth day of the second moon
Song-zi niang-niang: “Lady who bestows Children”
Ssu Ling: These are four spiritual creatures
Sun Hou-zi: Divine Ape; He is very skilled at using magic and can trick the gods
Sun-pi: God of cobblers
Tai-sui-xing: “Star of the Big Year”; God of time and planets
Tai-yi: The Supreme One, also known as Da-yi
Tai-yue da-di: The most important and most popular taoist mountain deity. He is considered the ruler of earth and mankind
T-ai-Yueh-Ta-Ti: God of affairs of men, protects humans and animals. He symbolises fortune, fate, destiny, children, animals, karma, prosperity, protection and success
Tang: Chinese Messiah who saved mankind from a great drought
Tao-de tian-zing: Ruler of the third heaven
Tian Hou: Empress of the Sky; She protects fishermen
Tian-di: Expression used to designate the earth. Literally meaning “Heaven and Earth”
Tian-guan: Ruler of heaven; One of the San-guan. He bestows good luck and wealth; Worshipped as the god of good fortune
Tian-long: One of the servant gods of Wen Chang
Tian-mu: “Mother of Lightning”; Goddess of lightning
Tian-wang: Celestial Kings; They are known as world protectors. They dwell on the mountain of Meru and they are the guardians of the four quarters of the world and the Buddhist teachings;
Celestial King of the North: He is the most important of the Tian-wang. He has a green body
Celestial King of the East: He plays a chinese lute. the sound purifies the thoughts of men and brings them to tranquility. He has a white body
Celestial King of the South: He holds a sword which he uses to battle the darkness (for example: ignorance). He has a blue body
Celestial King of the West: Holds a serpent in which holds the wish-fulfilling gem. He has a red body
Tian-zong: The title according to the highest deities of Taoism;
Yuan-shi tian-zong: Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning
Ling-pao tian-zong: Celestial Venerable of the Magic Jewel
Tao-de tian-zong: Celestial Venerable of the Tao and the Te
Yu-huang: The Jade Emperor
Tien-Kuan: God of happiness and well-being
Tien-Mu: God of lightning
Ti-Tsang Wang: “Sun Face” A hero God like Hercules, a God of eloquence, mercy, language and genius. Generally portrayed as an old man dressed in a lion skin
Tou-Mou: A God who was a record keeper, judge and scribe
T’shai-Shen: God of wealth who presides over a vast bureaucracy with many minor deities under his authority
Tsao Wang: God of the hearth. Every household has its own Tsao Wang. He symbolises the element of fire
Tsi – Ku: Goddess of the outhouse
Tu-di: Patron God of certain small areas
Tu-Ti: Local Gods. Minor Gods of towns, villages, even streets and households
Twen-Ch’ang: God of literature and poetry
Wang Mu niang-niang: Goddess and keeper of the peaches of immortality; Wife of Yu-Huang
We-duo: Buddhist divine general. He is ruler of the southern hemisphere
Wei Cheng: Deity who guards the back doors of domestic dwellings and public buildings. One of the Men-shen
Wie-tuo: Protector of the teaching
Wen-chang: God of literature and writing
Wen-shu: One of the four great Bodhisattva’s
Wu Guan: King of the Fourth Hell; The Hell of Blood. He is worshipped on the eighteenth day of the second moon
Wu Yo: The five sacred mountains of the north, south, east, west and the centre of China
Wu-di: The five legendary emperors
Xi Shi: Patroness of merchants (esp. perfumes and face cream)
Xi Wang-mu: Goddess of immortality. Personification of the feminine element yin
Xian: A being that has attained physical immortality in Taoism
Yang Jing: Goat God
Yan-lo: God of the dead. Lord and judge of the Fifth Hell. He is worshipped on the eighth day of the first moon
Yao: Mythical Chinese emperor
Yao-shi: Buddha who is dedicated to saving lives, healing wounds and curing disease
Yao-Shih: Master of psychic powers, healing, divination and prophecy
Yen-di: Legendary Chinese emperor; One of the San-huang
Yen-lo-wang: Earth God
Yeng-Wang-Yeh: Greatest of the Lords of Death. He judges all souls newly arrived to the land of the dead and decides whether to send them to a special court for punishment or put them back on the Wheel of Transmigration
Yi-Ti: God of wine
Yu: Hermaphrodite Deity who made the earth inhabitable for life
Yuan-shi tian-zong: One of the San-qing
Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti: The August Supreme Emperor of Jade, whose court is in the highest level of heaven, originally a sky God. The Jade Emperor made men, fashioning them from clay. The Jade Emperor sees and hears everything, even the softest whisper is as loud as thunder
Yu-qiang: Sea God and God of ocean winds
Yu-ren: “Feather Men”; These were flying immortals
Zao-jun: Lord of the Hearth; Protector of the family
Zhang Fei: One of the gods of butchers
Zhang Guo-lao: One of the Ba Xian
Zhang Xian: “Chang the immortal”; He bestows male offspring
Zhi Song-zi: Lord of rain
Zhi-ni: Goddess of spinners
Zhong kui: God of the afterlife and exorcism
Zhong Li-quan: One of the Ba Xian
Zhong-kui: God of literature and examinations; He is the protector against evil spirits and demons. He belongs to the Gui Xian which are a classification of demons
Zhu Rong: God of fire and the ruler of the southern hemisphere
Zhu-yi: Patron of ill prepared candidates for official examinations. Often found in the company of Wen-chang
Zi-yu: Divine inventor of war and weapons