Zhusheng Niangniang
Songzi Niangniang (, "The Maiden Who Brings Children"), also referred to in Taiwan as Zhusheng Niangniang (), is a Taoist fertility goddess. She has been identified with many historical figures. She is often depicted as Guan Yin herself in drawings, or alternatively as an attendant of Guan Yin; Guan Yin herself is also often referred to as "Guan Yin Who Brings Children". She is depicted as an empress figure, much like Xi Wangmu and Mazu. She is often portrayed as an attendant to Bixia Yuanjun. Legends There are different stories and legends of different Chinese goddesses of fertility in different parts of China. Zhusheng Niangniang is a goddess figure derived from three goddesses recorded in the Ming dynasty novel ''Investiture of the Gods''. The three goddesses are younger sisters of the god of wealth Zhao Gongming, named Zhao Yunxiao, Zhao Qiongxiao and Zhao Bixiao Bixiao Niangniang (), also known as Zhao Bixiao, is a Chinese goddess of childbirth. She is the youngest of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Songzi Niangniang (送子娘娘)
Songzi Niangniang (, "The Maiden Who Brings Children"), also referred to in Taiwan as Zhusheng Niangniang (), is a Taoist fertility goddess. She has been identified with many historical figures. She is often depicted as Guan Yin herself in drawings, or alternatively as an attendant of Guan Yin; Guan Yin herself is also often referred to as "Guan Yin Who Brings Children". She is depicted as an empress figure, much like Xi Wangmu and Mazu. She is often portrayed as an attendant to Bixia Yuanjun. Legends There are different stories and legends of different Chinese goddesses of fertility in different parts of China. Zhusheng Niangniang is a goddess figure derived from three goddesses recorded in the Ming dynasty novel ''Investiture of the Gods''. The three goddesses are younger sisters of the god of wealth Zhao Gongming, named Zhao Yunxiao, Zhao Qiongxiao and Zhao Bixiao Bixiao Niangniang (), also known as Zhao Bixiao, is a Chinese goddess of childbirth. She is the youngest of the S ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Taipeh Longshan-Tempel Hinterer Tempel Halle 3-3
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the northern port city of Keelung. Most of the city rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed. The basin is bounded by the relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border. The city of Taipei is home to an estimated population of 2,646,204 (2019), forming the core part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, which includes the nearby cities of New Taipei and Keelung with a population of 7,047,559, the 40th most-populous urban area in the world—roughly one-third of Taiwanese citizens live in the metro district. The name "Taipei" can refer either to the whole metropolitan area or just the city itself. Taipei has been the seat of the ROC central government sin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands, with a combined area of . The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', has an area of , with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanised population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Other major cities include Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries in the world. Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the isla ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' (, 'Thoroughfare'); the ''Tao'' is generally defined as the source of everything and the ultimate principle underlying reality. The ''Tao Te Ching'', a book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (), together with the later writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Taoism. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. This can be done through the use of Taoist techniques and by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called "the way" or "Tao". Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize ''wu wei'' (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the Three Treasures: , compassion, , ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guan Yin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She was first given the appellation of "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World." On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated. Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī. Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity" with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the ''Pumen chapter'' of ''Lotus Sutra'' and ''Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra''. Several large temples in East Asia a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Xi Wangmu
The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times. From her name alone some of her most important characteristics are revealed: she is royal, female, and is associated with the west. The first historical information on her can be traced back to oracle bone inscriptions of the 15th century BCE that record sacrifices to a "Western Mother". Even though these inscriptions illustrate that she predates organized Taoism, she is most often associated with Taoism. The growing popularity of the Queen Mother of the West, as well as the beliefs that she was the dispenser of prosperity, longevity, and eternal bliss, took place during Han dynasty, in the 2nd century BCE, when the northern and western parts of China were able to be better known because of the opening of the Silk Road. Names ''Queen Mother of the West'' is a calque of Xiwangmu in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mazu (goddess)
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Revered after her death as a tutelary deity of seafarers, including fishermen and sailors, her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia and overseas, where some Mazuist temples are affiliated with famous Taiwanese temples. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and a benevolent Queen of Heaven. Mazu worship is popular in Taiwan as large numbers of early immigrants to Taiwan were Hoklo people; her temple festival is a major event in the country, with the largest celebrations around her temples at Dajia and Beigang. Names and titles In addition to Mazu.. or ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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]   |
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Investiture Of The Gods
''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese names () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Consisting of 100 chapters, it was first published in book form between 1567 and 1619. Another source claims it was published in 1605. The work combines elements of history, folklore, mythology, legends and fantasy.Chew, Katherine Liang (2002). ''Tales of the Teahouse Retold: Investiture of the Gods''. Page XI. . The story is set in the era of the decline of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) and the rise of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). It intertwines numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including deities, immortals and spirits. The authorship is attributed to Xu Zhonglin. Plot The novel is a romanticised retelling of the overthrow of King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty, by Ji Fa, who would establish the Zhou dy ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhao Gongming
Zhao Gongming (), also known as Zhao Gong Yuanshuai (), is the martial god of wealth in Chinese folk religion. Zhao Gongming is the most notable among various forms of Caishen, and his birthday is commemorated on the fifth day of the first lunar month. He appears for the first time in the classic Chinese novel, ''Fengshen Yanyi'' (封神演义), contrary to claims in ''Pochu Mixin Quanshu'' () that he was a creation of the Song era. Legends Sanjiao Soushen Daquan According to the religious compendium, ''Sanjiao Soushen Daquan'', Zhao Gongming lived during the late Warring States period. When the King of Qin founded the Qin empire he withdrew to Mount Zhongnan which is located in present-day Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. There he cultivated Tao and attained the highest state of spiritual enlightenment. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi practiced the art of making pills of immortality and asked the Jade Emperor to send a god to protect him. The Jade Emperor sent ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhao Yunxiao
Yunxiao Niangniang (), also known as Zhao Yunxiao, is a Chinese goddess of childbirth. She is the oldest of the Sanxiao Shengmu (Holy mothers of three skies, 三霄聖母) or Sanxiao Niangniang (Ladies of three stars, 三霄娘娘). Sanxiao Niangniang is also worshipped as the household deity or toilet god. It is said "the kitchen god was in the kitchen and Sanxiao was in the cottage". Legend According to the ''Investiture of the Gods'', Zhao Yunxiao is a female celestial aiding Grand Old Master Wen Zhong. She is one of the three younger sisters of the God of wealth Zhao Gongming. The three sisters were killed when fighting Jiang Ziya. Later, they were appointed as deities. They are worshipped as deities controlling smallpox and children's diseases. Later on, she and her younger sisters Zhao Qiongxiao and Zhao Bixiao were combined into three in one, known as Zhusheng Niangniang Songzi Niangniang (, "The Maiden Who Brings Children"), also referred to in Taiwan as Zhusheng Niangni ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhao Qiongxiao
Qiongxiao Niangniang (), also known as Zhao Qiongxiao, is a Chinese goddess of childbirth. She is the second of the Sanxiao Shengmu (Holy mothers of three skies, 三霄聖母) or Sanxiao Niangniang (Ladies of three stars, 三霄娘娘). Sanxiao Niangniang is also worshipped as the household deity or toilet god. It is said "the kitchen god was in the kitchen and Sanxiao was in the cottage". Legend According to the ''Investiture of the Gods'', Zhao Qiongxiao is a female celestial aiding Grand Old Master Wen Zhong. She is one of the three younger sisters of the god of wealth Zhao Gongming. The three sisters were killed when fighting Jiang Ziya. Later, they were appointed as deities. They are worshipped as deities controlling smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ... ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |