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Shi Gandang
Shi Gandang () is a Chinese god and the protector of the home. He was originally a spirit sent down from Mount Tai by Bixia Yuanjun to protect ordinary people from evil spirits. As part of cultural tradition, there will also often be Taishan Shi Gandang stones set up near buildings and other places, in order to protect those places from evil spirits. These are not to be confused with spirit tablets. Legend A very strong and brave woodcutter named Shi Gandang lived on Mount Tai. He was taught martial arts and magic by an old Taoist. One day a demon came to the rich man Wang Yuanwai's house and put his daughter into a coma. Many Taoists used charms and incantations to exorcize the demon but to no avail. Wang Yuanwai sent out a bulletin to be posted all around the region. Wang offered half his family's wealth as a reward. In addition, if the person who saved his daughter was a young, unmarried man, he could marry the daughter. Shi Gandang saw the notice and decided to give it a try. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Tai
Mount Tai () is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the '' Jade Emperor Peak'' (), which is commonly reported as being tall. Mount Tai is known as the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China. It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centers of China during large portions of this period. Because of its sacred importance and dramatic landscape, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It meets 7 of the 10 evaluation standards of World Heritage, and is listed as a World Heritage site that meets the most standards, along with the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area in Australia. An earthquake or thunderstorm occurred in Mount Tai in 1831 BC or 1652 BC, also known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bixia Yuanjun
Bixia Yuanjun (), also known as Taishan Niangniang (, 'The Lady of Mount Tai'), is the goddess of Mount Tai, childbirth and destiny in Chinese traditional religion (Taoism). Bixia Yunjun became an important deity in China, particularly in the north during the Ming and Qing dynasties. She has also been conflated with various matron deities such as the bodhisattva Guanyin particularly in the south. General description Name and title The name Bixia Yuanjun has been rendered variously in English-language sources (‛Sovereign of the Clouds of Dawn', ‛The Primordial Goddess of the Morning Clouds', ‛Princess of the Azure Clouds' etc.). Bixia Yuanjun has also been conferred such honorary titles such as Tianxian Yünu () and Tianxian Shengmu (). However, she is commonly known by such names as Tianxian niangniang (), Taishan Niangniang (), Taishan Laomu (), or simply ''lao nainai'' (). Attributes and conflations Bixia Yuanjun is the Taoist goddess associated with Mount Tai in Shando ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spirit Tablets
A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in traditional Chinese culture, the spirit tablet is a common sight in many Sinosphere countries where any form of ancestor veneration is practiced. Spirit tablets are traditional ritual objects commonly seen in temples, shrines, and household altars throughout Mainland China and Taiwan. Traditional rituals of East Asia General usage A spirit tablet is often used for deities or ancestors (either generally or specifically: e.g. for a specific relative or for one's entire family tree). Shrines are generally found in and around households (for household gods and ancestors), in temples for specific deities, or in ancestral shrines for the clan's founders and specific ancestors. In each place, there are specific locations for individual spirit tab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shigandang
''Shigandang'' (; Japanese: ''ishigantō'') is an ornamental stone tablet with writing, which is used to exorcise evil spirits in east Asia. 石敢當 are often associated with Mount Tai, and are often placed on street intersections or three-way junctions, especially in the crossing, which is often considered a spiritually dangerous place (). Erecting Taishan shi-gan-dang nearby the houses, villages, bridges and roads has a long history in China. The phrase “石敢當” first appeared in Han Dynasty. During Tang Dynasty, these three characters have been carved on stones and were used to protect houses from evil things. Until Song Dynasty “Taishan shi-gan-dang” came out. It had been widely popular throughout the country to set up “石敢當” or “泰山石敢當” near villages and houses. What's more, this custom has also been spread to Han cultural circle overseas. No other Chinese folk-beliefs can compare with it considering its wideness. However, shi-gan-dang's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Deities
Chinese traditional religion is polytheistic; many deities are worshipped in a pantheistic view where divinity is inherent in the world. The gods are energies or principles revealing, imitating and propagating the way of Heaven (''Tian'' ), which is the supreme godhead manifesting in the northern culmen of the starry vault of the skies and its order. Many gods are ancestors or men who became deities for their heavenly achievements; most gods are also identified with stars and constellations. Ancestors are regarded as the equivalent of Heaven within human society, and therefore as the means connecting back to Heaven, which is the "utmost ancestral father" ( ''zēngzǔfù''). Gods are innumerable, as every phenomenon has or is one or more gods, and they are organised in a complex celestial hierarchy. Besides the traditional worship of these entities, Confucianism, Taoism and formal thinkers in general give theological interpretations affirming a monistic essence of divinity. "Pol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
