The Chinese Pantheon Of Gods Explained

China today recognizes five major religions, which include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The Law Library of Congress explains that China also recognizes "many folk beliefs." These are the inheritance of traditional Chinese polytheistic religion, which the World History Encyclopedia states has existed for at least seven millennia and far outages all the major world religions of today. 

This pantheon developed out of the worship of personifications of nature or various concepts that resulted in a huge pantheon of over 200 distinct deities. These are still influential in Chinese spirituality today; for example, Taoists and Buddhists aside from the main dictates of their religion can venerate the gods of this complex pantheon. Still, it is also important to realize that at any given time in China's long history, divine pantheons were often composed of different sets of gods. Here are some of the most prominent members of that pantheon who have long been venerated as living divinities throughout China's history.

In Chinese folklore, the queen goddess Xi Wangmu (sometimes Xiwangmu or Xing-Wang-Mu) lived in the land of Xihua ("West Flower") in the Kunlun Mountains. According to the World History Encyclopedia, this goddess of immortality ruled over mainly female divinities and spirits.

Britannica explains that her palace contained a garden where the peach of immortality grew. This fruit ripened every 3,000 years upon which there was a general celebration. The goddess sometimes presented these fruits to chosen mortals, such as emperors of the Zhou and Han dynasties.

Curiously, the goddess, also known as the Queen Mother of the West, was originally not so refined. As described in the "Handbook of Chinese Mythology," Xi Wangmu was originally a feral goddess of disaster, sickness, and punishment. However, she evolved to become the highest goddess of the Chinese pantheon. In these last iterations, she became the consort of Shangdi. In any event, as early as the Han Dynasty she was one of the most worshiped deities because it was thought that by venerating her, one could achieve longevity. This is seen today in the yearly Peach Saucer Festival held on the goddess' birthday at the Wangmu Pool.

In Chinese mythology humans were created by the mother goddess Nuwa. This particular goddess, as told by "The Handy Mythology Answer Book," by David A. Leeming, was depicted as having a body of a serpent with a human head. The myth, as summarized in "Myths and Legends of the World," explains that the goddess was lonely. Therefore, she formed humans from the mud of the Yellow River. A less subscribed to variation of the myth, as summarized by "World History," explains that she created humans by sleeping with her brother, Fuxi. Nuwa was also said to have killed beasts and put the sky above to form a world in which humans could thrive. As for Fuxi, he is credited to giving humans fire, metallurgy, animal husbandry, and teaching them how to fish.

For these reasons both Nuwa and Fuxi are considered the progenitors of the human race, as well as their teachers. There is still a cult surrounding Fuxi as he is yet worshiped at the Renzu Temple in Huaiyang, which was his mythical birthplace.

One of the more surly gods in the Chinese pantheon was Lei Gong. His name, according to "Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China," means "Duke of Thunder," and he is also called Lei Shen ("Thunder God"). With bat wings, a blue body, and fearsome claws, Lei Gong was indeed monstrous. Yet this appearance was apt for his divine duties. 

When Lei Gong was ordered by heaven, he punished the guilty and creatures who sought to harm humans. How does a god of thunder do this? By thunderbolts of course. Lei Gong used his divine assistants who had control of lightning, wind, and rain to further afflict the sinful. Indeed, Lei Gong was not a Chinese god to mess with. One anecdote, provided by World History Encyclopedia, is that the god noticed that a woman was about to throw out a bowl of rice. Objecting to such waste, he smote her with a thunderbolt, killing her instantly. This woman was judged by the gods to have died prematurely, so they resurrected her to become Lei Gong's helper, who shone light on the target Lei Gong was to smite. It is pretty self explanatory as to why there are few temples devoted to him. However, this doesn't stop believers from uttering a prayer to ask the Duke of Thunder to strike down their enemies.

After the adoption of Buddhism, Chinese mythology started to incorporate the underworld. According to "Worship," the underworld was the yin world, which, ghost-filled, was in opposition to the yang world of the living. The greatest lord of this world was Yan Wang, who was its chief judge.

World History Encyclopedia tells us that Yan Wang, who was also called Lord Yama King, judged the souls of the dead. These souls were collected by his servants who came, like the reaper, when their time was up according to the "Book of Destiny." Some might be so virtuous that they would go on to live as gods. Then others would be reincarnated to return to the world of yang. Others had various degrees of sinfulness that they would be punished accordingly. In this last bit, the god relied on scrolls that cataloged every sinful deed a person had done in life. Thus, in traditional Chinese religion, to worship and sacrifice to Yan Wang was to take a proactive and practical approach to avoid an early death.

The god Erlang Shen started his existence as an object of cult worship which, as related by "The Zoomorphic Imagination in Chinese Art and Culture," was denounced by the Song Dynasty. However, the god grew in popularity. 

Erlang was unique. As described in "A Brief History of the Immortals in Non-Hindu Civilizations," he possessed a third eye in the center of his forehead that saw the truth. He was also known as the greatest warrior of the gods and thus has been called the "Demon Queller" among other titles. To help him, Erlang also had a hound called Tiangou, which as described by World History Encyclopedia, he used to pursue evil spirits. Other details on this god are provided by "The History of Customs in Song, Liao, Jin, and XiaXia Dynasty," which include how he was not just a warrior, but a water god who engineered waterworks. Erlang Shen's festival was highly popular in ancient China and still is so today.

Lu Ban was the god of carpentry and as relayed by "Chinese Mythology A to Z," by Jeremy Roberts, was a high-functioning celestial bureaucrat. He headed the celestial ministry of public works. One story about Lu Ban summarizes his skill and character. As a young man he built a kite. This kite could stay aloft for days and is considered the progenitor of all kites. But it was so powerful that his father took it and used it to fly. Apparently, his father landed in Wuhai where the residents there, seeing a man flying through the air, were justified in thinking that a demon was upon him. They promptly killed Lu Ban's father. This incensed Lu Ban, so to avenge his father he built an immortal out of wood, which then caused a drought in the town. 

"Advances in Mechanisms, Robotics, and Design Education and Research" relates that Lu Ban was so skilled that he built a wooden horse carriage that moved without human control. Lu Ban is, in fact, based on perhaps a real inventor from the fifth century B.C.E. whose skill was such that he inevitably became an object of legend.

The earliest gods in traditional Chinese folklore were the Tudi Gong, which as translated by Britannica means "Lord of the Place," "Earth Lord," or "Earth God." There was no single Tudi Gong. Rather, these were gods who inhabited a single location and were ascribed duties unique to that location. This might mean that there was a Tudi Gong for a certain bridge or a public building, or even a home. 

Historically, these gods are thought to have originated from actual persons who may have given aid to a community and were deified after death. "Popular Religion in China," by Stephan Feuchtwang, points out that there was no clear cut definition of a Tudi Gong since some could offer protection to entire neighborhoods. Tudi Gongs could be consulted for calendar-restricted activities such as agriculture. Tudi Gongs were also thought to guard graves. In that way Tudi Gongs were thought to be similar to officials that guarded the peace. These were immediately subservient to the next level god, the Cheng Huan, which was a god of a given city. In that way, any given city could have dozens and dozens of local gods.