Qianliyan is a

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

sea The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

and

door god Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu ( ) and Yulü () under the H ...

. He usually appears with

Shunfeng'er Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu. Name The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...

as a guardian of the

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

of the

sea goddess A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Ano ...

Mazu.

Name

The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-

Mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more generally as "Hawkeye", "Lynx-Eyed",. "Far-Seeing", or even " All-Seeing" or "

Clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...

". as a distance of 1,000 li was idiomatic in Chinese for any great distance. It also appears as . and His partner Shunfeng'er's name similarly means "Sharp-Eared" or "All-Hearing". Under the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

, Qianliyan was also known as LiLou.

History

Qianliyan is first attested in the early-16th century

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...

'', where he appears as the personified form of the

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'' ...

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

's eyes and one of his lieutenants. There is, however, an earlier depiction of him in the caves of Shimen ''Shíménshān'') in

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

which has been dated to the

Southern Song The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. The Chinese folk tale about the Ten Brothers also probably long predates its first publication during the Ming Dynasty; in it, the eldest two brothers have powers just like those of Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er.. Qianliyan next appeared as a lieutenant of the Emperor of Flowering Brightness ''Huáguāng Dàdì'') in Yu Xiangdou's '' Journey to the South'' and as a character in

Xu Zhonglin Xu Zhonglin (; 1567 - c. 1619 or 1620) was a Chinese writer who lived in the Ming dynasty. He is best known as the author of the 16th century semi-mythical novel '' Investiture of the Gods'' (). He was born in Yingtian Prefecture, present-day Na ...

's ''

Creation 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 Written vernacular Chinese, vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Ming ...

''. He was confused with the

Shenshu ''Shēnshū'') and, particularly, gradually conflated with the earlier

sea god A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Ano ...

Zhaobao Qilang ''Zhāobǎo Qīláng'') as he was supplanted by the cult of Mazu.

Religion stories

Qianliyan's sharp vision is employed to help protect sailors at night and during fog and other inclement weather. In some accounts, he is capable of seeing everything in the world. Qianliyan is most often portrayed as a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

defeated and tamed or befriended by the

Mazu. By one account, he and Shunfeng'er appeared off

Meizhou Island Meizhou Island (; Pu-Xian Min: ''Mî-ciu-doh''), Meichow; Meichou, is a small island close to the coast of China. Meizhou Town () is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China. It is known for being the birthplace of the go ...

during a storm and were defeated by Mazu's magical silk scarf, which blew clouds of sand into their eyes and ears. After their submission, they pledged their loyalty when she kindly healed them of the damage she had caused them.. In another, the two were Song generals who competed for her hand at Peach Blossom Mountain ''Táohuā Shān'') but were both defeated by her

kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

. In another, the two were the brothers Gao Ming and Gao Jue. Ruthless generals, they fell at Peach Blossom Mountain and subsequently haunted it as demons. They appeared to Mazu when she traveled nearby and challenged her to battle, with the loser to do the winner's bidding. They intended to have her marry them both but were defeated by her magic and became her servants.. In still another, the Gao brothers were bandits during the

Shang The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and f ...

before they began to haunt the mountain.. In still another account, the pair were originally warriors or guards of King Zhou of Shang. In this version of the story, they are sometimes said to have already possessed their superhuman powers and to have used them to foil the first moves towards rebellion by the Zhou. Ji Fa's advisor

Jiang Ziya Jiang Ziya ( century BC – century BC), also known by several other names, was a Chinese noble who helped kings Wen and Wu of Zhou overthrow the Shang in ancient China. Following their victory at Muye, he continued to serve ...

is made out to have been a

adept, however, who uses the esoteric knowledge he received from the Primordial Lord of Heaven on to defeat them. Their powers fail them when he covers them in the blood of a black dog and Ji Fa is able to triumph at

Muye Muye District () is a district of the city of Xinxiang, Henan province, China. History The BC Battle of Muye ended Shang hegemony over the Wei and Yellow Rivers and established the state of Zhou. Administrative divisions As 2012, this district ...

and finally establish himself as the Martial King of Zhou ("King Wu").

Legacy

Ciyou Temple Mazu Cruise Parade 20131117-031

Worship

Qianliyan most often appears as a

at Mazuist temples or as a guardian beside Mazu at her altars or on her yellow paper charms. He is separately worshipped in some villages and by mariners for assistance avoiding danger. During the 8-day, annual pilgrimages from Dajia to

Beigang Beigang, Hokkō or Peikang is an Township (Taiwan), urban township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. It is primarily known for its Chaotian Temple, one of the most prominent temples of Mazu, Temples of Lin Moniang, Mazu on Taiwan. It has a population of ...

, Mazu's idol is accompanied by figures of Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er played by masked men on

stilts Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...

In art

Qianliyan typically appears as a green-skinned demon shielding his eyes from the sun's glare. This was not his original position: The Southern Song statue mentioned above and another in the Nanhai Longwang Temple ''Nánhǎi Lóngwáng Miào'') in eastern

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

give him three eyes but do not have either of his hands raised to his brow. He apparently picked up the pose from the earlier Zhaobao Qilang as that god's followers came to worship Mazu. Qianliyan also occasionally appears with three heads and six arms. He usually appears to the right of his companion

. He sometimes appears as the red demon, in which case he usually has two horns and yellow sapphire eyes.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* . * . * . * . * . {{commons category, Qianliyan Chinese gods Liminal gods Mazu Sea and river gods