Chinese Folk Gods (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Lü Zongli et al. by Luan Baoqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Regarding the scope discussed in this book, there are a few points that need to be clarified in South Africa:
1. The focus of this book is mainly on gods that still have a significant influence in the folk belief since modern times. Except for figures like doctors (Fuxi, Shennong, Huangdi) and Cangjie, who are still revered as gods by later generations, characters from ancient myths are generally not included. However, when tracing the origins of certain nature gods, such as sea gods or river gods, we may touch upon some ancient mythological figures. This is only to clarify the evolution of these gods.
2. The reason we add the concept of "folk" before "gods" is to indicate certain distinctions.
3. The number and types of deities worshipped in Chinese folk belief are extremely numerous and cannot be fully covered in the scope of this book. Our selection criteria are deities that have been recorded in literature since the Tang and Song dynasties up to modern times, not only documented in texts but also widely worshipped by the common people in relatively broad regions, even across the entire country. These deities are not only mentioned in literature and circulated in villages but are mostly enshrined in temples, and these temples are not limited to a single county or township.