Tudigong

{{short description|Guardian or patron deity of a locality in Chinese folk religion}} {{distinguish|City God (China)}} {{Chinese | pic = Shrine of the Earth God - panoramio.jpg | piccap = A shrine to a local Tudigong along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, in Hong Kong | c = {{linktext|土|地|公}} | w = Tu³-ti⁴-kung¹ | p = Tǔ dì gōng | poj = Thó-tī-kong / Thó͘-tī-kong | buc = Tū-dê-gŭng | l = Lord of the Land | j = tou2 dei6 gung1 | y = tóu deih gūng | c2 = 土地 | w2 = Tu³-ti⁴ | p2 = Tǔ dì | j2 = tou2 dei6 | y2 = tóu deih | c3 = 土公 | w3 = Tu³-kung¹ | p3 = Tǔ gōng | poj3 = Thó͘-kong | j3 = tou2 gung1 | y3 = tóu gūng | l3 = | c4 = | p4 = | l4 = | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|t|u|3|.|d|i|4|.|g|ong|1}} | ci = {{IPAc-yue|t|ou|2|.|d|ei|6|.|g|ung|1}} }}

A '''Tudigong''' ({{zh|t=土地公|l=Lord of the Land}}) is a kind of Chinese tutelary deity of a specific location.<ref name=":3" /> There are several Tudigongs corresponding to different geographical locations and sometimes multiple ones will be venerated together in certain regions.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=基隆市政府 |date=2020-08-26 |title=Nuannuan Twins Tudigong Temple |url=https://tour.klcg.gov.tw/en/attractions/temples/14284627/ |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=基隆市政府}}</ref>

They are tutelary (i.e. guardian or patron) deities of locations and the human communities who inhabit it in Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.<ref name="sbnum">The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, vol. Religions & Beliefs, edited by Prof. Dr M. Kamal Hassan & Dr. Ghazali bin Basri. {{ISBN|981-3018-51-8}}</ref> They are portrayed as old men with long beards.<ref name="Stepanchuk Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts Tudigong" />

The definitive characteristic of Tudigongs is that they are limited to their specific geographical locations. The Tudigong of one location is not the Tudigong of another location.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Tudi Gong {{!}} Chinese deity {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tudi-Gong |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

They are considered to be among the lowest ranked divinities,<ref name=":7" /> just below City Gods<ref name="sbnum" /> and above ''dizhu shen''.

Often, a specific person who did a great service to their local community will be seen as becoming a Tudigong after their death.<ref name=":4" />

When people move from one location to another, they will say goodbye to their local Tudigong and worship that of the new location.<ref name=":7">{{cite web| url=https://glossary.mg-lj.si/referential-fields/tudigong/tudigong | title=tudigong, god of the land, Manray Hsu | access-date=2024-02-06}}</ref><ref>Shiv Visvanathan, “Mrs Brundtland’s Disenchanted Cosmos” (1991) in ''The Geopolitics Reader'', eds. Gearóid Ó Tuathail, Simon Dalby, and Paul Routledge (London: Routledge, 1998).</ref>

The deities are considered to have a kind of appointed position like an alderman, with different deities being appointed to different areas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hall |first=Christopher A. |date=2009-01-01 |title=Tudi Gong in Taiwan |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=1083074X&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA213529556&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=Southeast Review of Asian Studies |language=English |volume=31 |pages=97–113}}</ref>

Houtu is the overlord of all the Tudigongs ("Lord of Local Land"), Sheji ("the State"), Shan Shen ("God of Mountains"), City Gods ("God of Local City"), and ''dizhu shen''.

==Names== Tudigongs go by a variety of names, including '''Tudigong''' ({{lang-zh|t=土地公|l=Lord of the Land}}) or '''Tudishen''' ({{lang-zh|t=土地神|l=God of the Land|labels=no}}), also known simply as '''Tudi''' ({{lang-zh|t=土地|l=land, soil|labels=no}}) and translated as '''Lord of the Earth''',<ref name="Stepanchuk Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts Tudigong" />

Other names of the god include:<ref>Keith G. Stevens, Chinese Mythological Gods, Oxford University Press, USA, (November 8, 2001), pages 60, 68, 70, {{ISBN|0-19-591990-4}} or {{ISBN|978-0-19-591990-5}}</ref> * Tugong ({{lang|zh-hant|土公}} "Lord of the Soil"); * Tudiye ({{lang|zh-hant|土地爺}} "Soil-Ground Father"); * Dabogong ({{lang|zh-hant|大伯公}} "Great Elder Lord") or Bogong ({{lang|zh|伯公}} "Elder Lord"); ** Tua Pek Kong (Tâi-lô: ''Tuā-peh-kong'') is used extensively as a replacement of Tudigong by the Chinese population across South East Asia, although they refer to the same deity. * Sheshen ({{lang|zh-hant|社神}} "God of the Soil") or Shegong ({{lang|zh-hant|社公}} "Lord of the Soil"); ** This word may be confusing as 社 is often used to refer to society or shrines, but the original etymology was linked to soil. * Tudijun ({{lang|zh|土帝君}} "Ruler God of the Soil").

Extended titles of the god include: * Tudihuofushen ({{lang|zh|土地或福神}} "God who May Bless the Soil"); * Fudezhengshen ({{lang|zh|福德正神}} "Right God of Blessing and Virtue") or Fudegong ({{lang|zh-hant|福德公}} "Lord of Blessing and Virtue").

Commoners often call their local Tudigong "grandfather" (''yeye''), which reflects the close relationship with the common people.<ref name="sbnum"/>

==Etymology== {{See also|Di (Chinese concept)}}thumb|Etymology of Sheshen. Both characters are religious in nature

Tudigongs are believed to have originally developed out of the Sheshen belief system.<ref name=":4">{{cite web | url=https://religion.moi.gov.tw/knowledge/content?ci=2&cid=278 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729071735/http://religion.moi.gov.tw/Knowledge/Content?ci=2&cid=278 | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 29, 2016 | title=首頁 > 宗教知識+ > 宗教神祇 > 土地公(Tudi gong) }}</ref>

'''Sheshen''' (社神), also known as Tudigongs, are Chinese deities associated with the soil.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Theobald |first=Ulrich |title=Sheshen 社神, Local Deities (www.chinaknowledge.de) |url=http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Religion/personssheshen.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=www.chinaknowledge.de |language=en}}</ref>

The character 社 is now primarily associated with Society,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=社 Chinese English dictionary 社 translate 社 pinyin |url=https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E7%A4%BE |access-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014162550/https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E7%A4%BE |archive-date=2022-10-14 }}</ref> being present in such compounds as socialism ({{Lang-zh|c=社会主义|p=Shèhuì zhǔyì|labels=no}})<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-29 |title=socialism translate to Traditional Chinese: Cambridge Dictionary |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/socialism |access-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229122749/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/socialism |archive-date=2016-02-29 }}</ref> and sociology (社会学, Shèhuì xué)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-20 |title=sociology translate to Traditional Chinese: Cambridge Dictionary |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/sociology |access-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720064845/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/sociology |archive-date=2015-07-20 }}</ref> and social media (社群媒體, Shè qún méitǐ).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-04 |title=social media {{!}} translate to Traditional Chinese: Cambridge Dictionary |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/social-media |access-date=2023-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504071556/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/social-media |archive-date=2022-05-04 }}</ref>

However, originally the character 社 meant soil, and had a connotation of divinity; see the diagram on the right for more info on its relationship with the Oracle bone script

The character 社 alone historically referred to such deities.<ref name=":2" /> It is a combination of deity (示) and soil (土), meaning "god of the land".<ref>{{cite web| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915025851/http://www.chinese-characters.org/meaning/7/793E.html | url=http://www.chinese-characters.org/meaning/7/793E.html | archive-date=2013-09-15 | title=Meaning of Chinese characters}}</ref>

Sheshen are associated with soil and grain (shèjì, 社稷), with both sometimes being personified as husband and wife.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Sheji {{!}} Chinese deity {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sheji |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>Yang, C. K. ''Religion in Chinese Society : A Study of Contemporary Social Functions of Religion and Some of Their Historical Factors'' (1967 [1961]). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. page 97</ref>

Tudigong means Tu (earth), Di, Gong (grandfather/duke).

Sacrifices to Sheshen transitioned to sacrifices to Tudigong.<ref name=":5" />

{{Wiktionary|社}}

== History == The earliest known sheshen was {{ill|Gou Long|zh-hant|句龍}}, a son of Gonggong who was appointed as a god of the soil by Zhuanxu.<ref name=":0" />

Tudigongs developed from land worship. Before City Gods became prominent in China, land worship had a hierarchy of deities conforming strictly to social structure, in which the emperor, kings, dukes, officials, and common people were allowed to worship only the land gods within their command; the highest land deity was the Houtu ("Queen of the Earth").<ref name="sbnum" />

Ranked beneath City Gods, the Tudigongs have been very popular among villagers as the grassroot deities since the 14th century during the Ming dynasty. Some scholars speculate that this change came because of an imperial edict, because it is reported that the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty was born in a Tudigong shrine. The image of a Tudigong is that of a simply clothed, smiling, white-bearded man. His wife, the Grandmother of the Village, ''Tǔdìpó'', looks like a normal old lady.<ref name="sbnum"/>

In later generations, they became associated with Wish trees.

==Variants== ===Tudipo=== In the countryside, they are sometimes given wives, ''Tǔdìpó'' ({{lang|zh-hant|土地婆}} "Grandmother of the Soil and the Ground"), placed next to them on the altar. They may be seen as just and benevolent deities on the same rank as their husbands, or as grudging old women holding back their husband's benedictions, which explains why one does not always receive fair retribution for good behavior.<ref name="sbnum"/>

Another story says that Tudipo is supposed to be a young lady. After Tudigong received a heavenly rank, he gave everything that the people asked for. When one of the Deities went down to Earth to do inspections, he saw that Tudigong was distributing blessings unnecessarily. Soon after that, the Deity went to the Celestial Palace and reported to the Jade Emperor.<ref name="sbnum"/>

After the Jade Emperor knew this, he found out that there was a lady that was going to be killed, but she was not guilty. Thus, the Jade Emperor told a Deity to go down to Earth and bring the lady to heaven. When the lady was brought to the Celestial Palace, the Jade Emperor bestowed her to Tudigong as his wife. She was ordered to look after how many blessings Tudigong distributes and that they not be unnecessarily distributed. This is why many people do not want to pay respect to Tudipo, because they are afraid that she will not let Tudigong give much wealth to them.<ref name="sbnum"/>

==Festivals== {{See also|Ritual opera}} In Taiwan, festivals dedicated to Tudigong typically take place on the second day of the second month and the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4437&Keyword=%E5%9C%9F%E5%9C%B0%E5%85%AC|title=Earth God|last=Cheng|first=Shuiping|year=2011|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Taiwan|publisher=Council for Cultural Affairs|access-date=24 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720013817/http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4437&Keyword=%E5%9C%9F%E5%9C%B0%E5%85%AC|archive-date=20 July 2012}}</ref> The second day of the second month is said to be Tudigong's birthday.<ref name="Stepanchuk Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts Tudigong">{{cite book |last1=Stepanchuk |first1=Carol |title=Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China |date=1991 |publisher=China Books & Periodicals |location=San Francisco |isbn=0-8351-2481-9 |page=125}}</ref> Today these deities are associated with Ritual opera.<ref name=":1">参见《〈辞海〉1999年索引本（音序）》第1480页。</ref>

==Temples== [[File:HK_Sheung_Wan_Tai_Ping_Shan_Street_Water_Lane_Temple_上環水巷福德宮a.jpg|thumb|upright|A Tudigong Temple in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.]] Tudigong temples are common across China, Tibet, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. [[File:HK_Shatin_大圍村_Tai_Wai_Village_land_god_Tu_Di_Gong.JPG|thumb|upright|A shrine to a Tudigong within the entrance gate of Tai Wai Village, a walled village of Hong Kong.]] In Chinese, Spirit houses are called 土地神屋 or Tudigong House, representing a link between the concept and the concept of a Tudigong temple dedicated to a ''dizhu shen'' or a Tudigong.

A notable example in Nuannuan District has two Tudigong temples next to each other for different Tudigongs.<ref name=":6" />

Many temples house small shrines featuring the image of Tudigong, which are commonly located beneath the main altar or below the house door. Many devotees offer prayers for good health and wealth. Tudigong is also traditionally venerated before the burials to express gratitude for using his land to return their bodies to the earth.<ref name="sbnum" />

It is reported that the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty was born in a Tudigong shrine.<ref name="sbnum" />

During the cultural revolution, many Tudigong shrines were destroyed. However, many were recently rebuilt.<ref name=":7" /><ref>Wen-yu Chang & Wei-ping Lin, “A Fairy-like Woman, Taiwanese Businessmen, and Temple Managers: A New Age Temple of Earth God in Xiamen” (in Chinese), ''Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology'' 82 (2015): 27–60.</ref>

=== Existing Temples ===

* Checheng Fu'an Temple * Zhushan Zinan Temple * Mun San Fook Tuck Chee temple

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Quanshan Tudi Gong Gong - furnace - DSCF8527.JPG|A Tudigong temple in Quanzhou, Fujian. File:四結福德廟 20141206.jpg|A temple dedicated to Fude in Wujie, Yilan, Taiwan. File:沂水县郭庄附近的小庙.jpg|A Tudimiao in Guo Village, Yishui, Shandong File:Tu Di Gong shrine.jpg|A small altar for Tudi, part of a Chinese tomb, Indonesia. File:Pagoda of Tua Pek Kong Temple.JPG|Tower of the Temple of Dabogong (locally ''Tua Pek Kong'') in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. File:HongKongSpiritSeat.jpg|A doorway spirit tablet dedicated to Tudigong in Hong Kong. It invokes Tudigong to bring blessings. File:Altar Tho Ti Kong di Pattaya.jpg|A small altar in a private house, Pattaya, Thailand. File:福德正神香火神位.jpg|A roadside shrine to Tudigong in Miaoli, Taiwan </gallery>

==See also== * Agriculture in Chinese mythology * Cai Shen (財神) * Chinese folk religion * Chinese mythology * Fengshui * Hou Tu (後土) * Men Shen (門神) * Nisse (folklore) * Okuninushi * Ông Địa (翁地) * Religion in China * She Ji (社稷) * Spirit tablet * Tian Di (天地) * Tua Pek Kong (大伯公) * Zao Jun (灶君) * {{annotated link|Ourea}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Religious Confucianism}}

Category:Chinese gods Category:Fortune gods Category:Earth gods Category:Tutelary deities Category:Journey to the West characters Category:Regional deities Category:Chthonic beings Category:Chinese folk religion Category:Earth deities Category:East Asian traditional religion