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Chinese Folk Religions
Chinese folk religions are those having folk beliefs, that are drawn from Chinese mythology. They rely heavily upon religions practiced in China that include ancestor worship and included concepts and Gods found within Chinese mythology. It is reported that at least 394 million people, mostly immigrants, practice these religions worldwide. The religions are thousands of years old with no specific date of origination. Chinese folk religions are made up of a mixture of religious practices, Confucian ceremonies, ancestor worship, Buddhism and Taoism as well as worship of the sun, moon, earth and heaven, various stars and in some cases, communication with animals.
Chinese folk religions pay homage to many hundreds of varied gods and deities, as well as saints, immortals and demigods form an important part of the culture of these folk religions. Gods and Goddesses (incomplete list) Guan Yu – symbol of loyalty and the patron god of policemen, war, fortune, law and yes gangsters is a forgiving God Baosheng Dadi – is a great emperor protecting life as he is considered as a divine physician who can raise the dead. Cai Shen – is a god of wealth who oversees the gaining and distribution of wealth through fortune. He is shaped as a giant blue whiskered cat. Shou Xing – is a god of longevity who stands for a healthy and long life. Fu Shen – is a god of happinesss who symbolizes happiness and joy. Eight Immortals – they are important literary and artisitic men who were deified after death.
Hu Ye – a guardian spirit to be found at the bottom of Taoist temple shrines. The tiger spirit is worshipped in order to curse spiritual enemies. Jiu Wang Ze – speaks to the spirits of nine emperors and is the goddess of sailors. Qiye – speaks to two generals and his best friends and their deaths. Shangdi – is the supreme God and deity of various religions. Cheng Huang – are a class of protective deities each having a Cheng Huang who looks after the well being of individual cities and judges the dead. These were famous or noble persons who were deified after their death. Sun Wukong – is the Monkey King who is the stone monkey born from heaven and earth who caused trouble in heaven and was punished by Buddha for 500 years. Tu Di Gong – is the God of the earth who protects local hills and is the God of wealth by virtue of his connection with the earth’s minerals and buried treasures. Wengchangdi – is the God of promoting culture, a God of students, scholars and examination. Xi Wangmu – is the Queen Mother of the West and reigns over a mountain paradise and has the power to make others immortal. Yuexia Laoren known as Old Man Under the Moon and is amatchmaker who pairs lovers together, worshipped by those seeking a partner. Zao Shen – is the Kitchen God and reports to heaven on the behavior of families once a year, at Chinese new year. Zhusheng Niangniang – A female God who is worshipped by people who want children, or who want their child to be a boy.
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