Introduction to the Deities and Route for Pilgrimage

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month♦



Originally named “Guanyin Bodhisattva,” “Guanyin” is the sacred name whole Ancestral Buddha is a folk honorific bestowed on the buddha. Guanyin’s sacred name was originally “Guanshiyin” but the sacred name was shortened during the Tang Dynasty to avoid using the same character shared in the name of Emperor Li Shimin. According to the Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures, some Bodhisattvas had already attained Buddhahood in ancient times. They appear in their Buddha form when they enter the mortal realm to enlighten the people and save them from suffering. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is among these. Buddhist scriptures describe Guanshiyin Bodhisattva as having a vast compassionate heart. When the name Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is evoked, the Bodhisattva would seek out those who call out to relieve their suffering and help them find joy, hence, people refer to “compassionate and benevolent Guanyshiyin Bodhisattva”, as the most renown of the major buddhas in Buddhism, with the accolade of “in every home Amitabha; in every family Guanshiyin.”

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the same day as Guanyin Ancestral Buddha♦



Natural treasures flowed forth when this disciple of the bodhisattva was born, hence he was given this name. He is the protagonist in the work Avataṃsaka Sūtra, and is a radiant exemplar for those practicing the way of the Buddha. After initiating the Anuttara Samak Sambodhi heart, he gradually traveled southward from where Manjusri bodhisattva was, visiting 53 Kalyāṇa-mitra benevolent advisors before completing his spiritual cultivation and entering the Dharma Realm. The smiling boy child who stands next to Guanyin Bodhisattva in the mural of Guanyin in most altar rooms is Sudhana. And on the other side of Guanyin is Dragon Girl ārya. The duo together is referred to as Child of Wealth and Girl of Jade. 

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the same day as Guanyin Bodhisattva♦



Originally the daughter of Sāgara the Dragon King, Longnu is an attendant of Guanyin Bodhisattva. She and Sudhana (Child of Wealth) stand on either side of the bodhisattva. In the Devadatta section of the Lotus Sutra, Longnu is said to have achieved dharma by the age of eight. Despite being questioned by the Venerable Shariputra, she still attained Buddhahood at the Dharma Assembly. In order to demonstrate the compassion of Buddhist teachings, and to assist Guanshiyin Bodhisattva in saving sentient beings in the six realms, Longnu appears in the form of a girl child, and along with Sudhana, they are the left- and right-hand attendants of Guanshiyin bodhisattva, and are known collectively as “Golden Boy and Jade Girl.”

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month ♦



Maitreya bodhisattva is the “Laughing Buddha” of Buddhism. His family name is Ajitas. Maistreya is his Sanskrit name that is roughly translated as “compassionate.” “Maitreya Bodhisattva” is a “buddha for the future, who resides and leads the heavens. He obsessively observes the world and has entered the mortal realm in disguise. Legends say that during the fifth dynasty, he was incarnated in the form of a monk named Budai (lit. “cloth sack”), referring to himself as “Son of Changting.” It is often said: “Maitreya the true Maitreya has been taken myriad forms, always showing himself to the world yet the world does not recognize him.”

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 12th day of the third lunar month ♦

The Goddess of Childbirth (colloquially referred to as “Mother of Childbirth”) is the deity of fertility as well as the deity who protects pregnant and post-partem women, new born children, and the infertile. She is often depicted as holding a book in her left hand and a brush in the right hand, symbolizing the documentation of offspring in each household and family. As recorded in Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), she was created by three female immortals, Yunxiao, Bixiao, and Qiongxiao, all acolytes of the Sacred Mother of the Turtle Spirit. The Goddess of Childbirth is also known as “The Child-Giving God.” Her 12 female attendants are known as the 12 governesses.

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the same day as the Goddess of Childbirth ♦



As recorded in the Notes from Fujian Min Section, Chen Jinggu gained proficiency in various Tao methods from Master Xu Jenjun, and assisted Wang Tingbin, King of the Min in resolving a crisis of demons to rescue the Empress and 36 courtesans. In gratitude, King of the Min assigned the 36 courtesans as disciples of Chen Queen Mother. Known as the 36 Governesses, they are each able to exorcise demons, resolve misfortune, rescue women in childbirth, protect fetuses and deliver children. Each year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the 36 governesses are divided in to three teams. They answer prayers, and encourage the faithful to do good and avoid evil, winning the hearts of the people. In Taiwanese folk belief, the 12 governesses can cure women’s illnesses as well as look after the food, clothing, shelter, movement, fearfulness, night crying, and illnesses in children. The governesses are gods of birth and nurture, and flank the Goddess of Childbirth as her attendants. 

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month♦

Surnamed Guan, given name Yu, formal name Yunchang, Holy Emperor Lord Guan was born in Jie County in Hedong on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month during the second year of the reign of Emperor Huan of Han (157 A.D.), and passed away on the 7th day of the 12th lunar month in the 24th year of Emperor Xian of Han (213 A.D.) According to the General Historica of Taiwan Province, worship of Holy Emperor Lord Guan in Taiwan began during the time of Koxinga, King of Yanping, when a group of merchants collaborating on a business venture with a shared sense of honor, chose Guan Gong as their patron god for his sense of honor. According to folklore, emperors throughout the dynasties established shrines to Holy Emperor Lord Guan. Holy Emperor Lord Guan is also worshipped in Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, hence, he is known by many other monikers. 

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the same day as Holy Emperor Lord Guan♦



In The Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Pin followed his father into war, and was captured along with his father Guan Yu and executed by Sun Quan. Guan Yu was deified posthumously, and generations of leaders and people established temples to honor and worship him with offerings. Guan Pin is depicted holding a seal in his right hand with a powdered complexion, and rouged lips. He is a young, handsome, pale-complexioned divine general.

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the same day as Holy Emperor Lord Guan♦



As recorded in General Historica of Shanxi, he is a native of Guanxi. Originally under the command of Zhang Bao, leader of the Yellow Turban f Bandits, he became a collower of Guan Yu when the Yellow Turban militia were defeated. He took his own life on news of Sun Quan beheading Guan Yu and his son after the fall of Maicheng. Guan Yu was deified posthumously, receiving worship and offerings, and the Great General Zhou stands to the left ofHoly Emperor Lord Guan holding a Green Dragon yanyuedao weapon.

♦Sacred birth celebrated on 14th day of the 4th lunar month♦



Lü Dongbin, colloquially known as Lü Yan, is colloquially referred to as Fuyou Emperor Lord, Lü Pure Yang, Master Pure Sun, Xian Gong, Lü Ancestor, etc. Called Miaodao Heavenly Venerate by Daoists and Wenni True Buddha by Buddhists, he is one of the Eight Immortals of folklore. Lü Dongbin is also one of the five distinct Gods of Wen Chang and is often worshipped alongside Guan Gong, Master of Vermillion Cloak, Kui Xing, and Lord Wenchang. He was bestowed the title of Pure Yang Yanzheng Jinghua Emperor Lord during the Yuan Dynasty, from which the honorific Fuyou Emperor Lord came. He is worshipped by Confucianists, Daoists, and Buddhists alike.

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 3rd day of the 8th lunar month♦

The Kitchen God is known colloquially as Lord of the Stove, and also known as Siming True Lord, Lord of the Stove, Protector of the Home, or King of the Stove. His full title is Kitchen Commander of the East Nine Souls, Wang Dingfu Venerate Master. Worship of the Kitchen God is one of the five rites of offering (Home, Kitchen, Rain, and Travel) passed down in China since the Shang Dynast, indicating that the practice of making offerings to the Kitchen God has a long history. The 24th day of the 12th lunar month is the day when the Kitchen God departs from the mortal realm to report the actions and behaviors of each family to Jade Emperor, so each household performs a “Kitchen God Send Off” on the day.

♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month♦



Fude True God is usually referred to as the God of the Soil and the Ground, as well as “Elder Lord”, "Lord of Blessing and Virtue", "Great Elder Lord", Hòutǔ (Queen of the Earth), or simply as Tudi. As documented in books such as The Commentary of Zuo, The Book of Rites, the worship of the God of the Soil and Ground in China has existed since ancient times. These practices originated in a sense of reverence and gratitude for the land, and gradually evolved into the anthropomorphism of nature into a deified character. Folk beliefs hold that he can bless a successful agricultural harvest as well as bless merchants with business success, travelers with a safe journey, and even guard graves from evil demons. These are detailed in General Historica of Taiwan Province.