Art becomes lifelike because of auspiciousness, and life becomes artistic because of auspiciousness.

From the Spring Festival to the Dragon Boat Festival, New Year's Eve and other seasonal festivals, to every ordinary day that passes by, auspicious art brings happiness and peace to people and adds interest to life. Although this persistent pursuit of a happy life has utilitarian purposes, it is simple and sincere, full of vigor and vitality. On the fifth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake, the day of "welcoming the God of Wealth", The Paper Art presents folk art works about the "God of Wealth" and the "Three Stars of Fortune, Longevity and Happiness", telling the Chinese folk stories in between.

New Year Pictures of the God of Wealth in the Qing Dynasty

God of Wealth – Bringing Wealth and Fortune

The emergence of private ownership has made wealth and money one of the important forces supporting personal and social life. The ancients also knew that the reasonable pursuit of wealth and money was not shameful, and the God of Wealth was also one of the most important gods among the people under the private ownership economy. The rise of the God of Wealth is very local. The initial gods of wealth were mostly small local gods of wealth established in the village. Later, in the process of development, the three real gods of wealth, such as Bigan, Zhao Gongming, and Guan Yu, were formed.

The number one scholar is divided into civil and military, and the same is true for the God of Wealth. As the name suggests, the "Civil God of Wealth" evolved from civil officials, such as Bigan and Fan Li, and is also called "God of Wealth" and "God of Wealth". They usually have a wealthy appearance, five long beards, and are dressed like civil officials. They wear black gauze on their heads, red robes, hold Ruyi in their hands, and Yuanbao on their feet. Some hold an edict that "the heavenly official blesses them". The "Martial God of Wealth" evolved from military generals in history or Taoism, such as Guan Gong and Zhao Gongming. Families who respect literature worship the Civil God of Wealth, while families who respect martial arts worship the Martial God of Wealth. Although the ways of civil and martial arts are different, both can make money and are blessed by immortals. Whether it is the Civil God of Wealth or the Martial God of Wealth, they not only embody the people's desire for wealth, but also express the people's attitude and value orientation towards wealth. The Gods of Wealth are the moral forces that regulate people in the face of money. Guan Gong represents "integrity", Fan Li represents "wisdom", Zhao Gongming and Bigan represent "justice".

Xiaoxiaochang New Year Painting "Five Gods of Wealth"

Among the people, the one with the most popular base and influence is Zhao Gongming. The image of the God of Wealth worshipped by the people is very tall and mighty. He has a black face and thick beard, a helmet and armor, and a whip in his hand. He is never alone. He is usually surrounded by cornucopias, large ingots, corals and the like, which makes him look rich and gorgeous. Bigan, one of the literary gods of wealth, is also a well-known figure among the people. He is the uncle of King Zhou and is upright. At that time, King Zhou was licentious and immoral, and the people complained and suffered terribly, so Bigan often advised him, but King Zhou hated it very much, and Daji also provoked him from time to time, which made King Zhou resent him very much. Bigan always gave strong advice and did not leave King Zhou and Daji a trace of face. So one day, King Zhou was furious and said to Bigan: "I heard that the heart of a saint has seven holes, and my uncle behaves like a saint every day. I want to see if it is true."

After that, King Zhou ordered his men to cut open Bigan's chest and dig out his heart. Although Bigan suffered such a disaster, he also became a good minister who was praised for thousands of years. When people talk about uprightness, justice, openness and selflessness, they will inevitably think of Bigan. And the people also believed that it would be fair and reliable to entrust their money to such a person, so Bigan was gradually worshipped as the God of Wealth.

Another well-known God of Wealth is Fan Li. Fan Li was regarded as the God of Wealth because he was good at accumulating wealth and was kind and generous. He was originally an ordinary villager in Sanhu Village, Wanyi, Chu State, but later became the most important minister of Gou Jian, King of Yue, with his talents.

He had great strategies for establishing a country and career. When the King of Yue was at his most miserable, he came to the King of Yue and helped him with all his strength. He assisted the King of Yue to work hard to govern the country, wipe out the shame of Kuaiji, and finally achieved hegemony. In the end, Fan Li did not covet fame and fortune, and he understood the principle of "the dog is cooked after the rabbit dies", so he chose to retire to protect himself. Although he left without saying goodbye, he left a letter to his friend Wen Zhong before leaving: "The high birds have scattered, the good bows will be hidden; the cunning rabbits have been killed, and the good dogs will be cooked. The King of Yue is a man with a long neck and a bird's beak, an eagle's eyes and a wolf's steps. You can share adversity with him, but not happiness. If you don't leave, it will harm you." The views in the letter were quite far-sighted, but Wen Zhong did not listen to Fan Li's advice and was eventually killed by the King of Yue. After Fan Li escaped from the State of Yue, he came to the seaside of Qi to open up wasteland and farm. He was hardworking, frugal and good at business. In just a few years, he accumulated hundreds of thousands of wealth and became the richest man in the area. The King of Qi knew Fan Li and appointed him as prime minister, but later, Fan Li returned the seal of the prime minister, gave away all his wealth, and quietly left with his family. It is said that Fan Li later went to Dingtao County, Shandong Province, and called himself Tao Zhugong, specializing in business and trade. After a few years, he accumulated billions of wealth and became the richest man in the world, and Tao Zhugong also became a synonym for the rich. Fan Li was an indifferent and wise politician, and was already worshipped and respected; as a businessman, Fan Li was both good at business and kind, and was also deeply loved by people, so he was gradually regarded as the God of Wealth.

Taohuawu New Year Picture of "Hehe God of Wealth"

The God of Wealth in the "Investiture of the Gods" is Zhao Gongming. He was originally a Taoist priest who practiced Taoism in Luofu Cave in Meishan and assisted King Zhou. When Jiang Ziya conferred the title of God on him, he did not directly confer him the title of God of Wealth, but rather the title of "God of the Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Longhu Xuantan Zhenjun", who commanded four subordinates, "Zhaobao Tianzun", "Nazhen Tianzun", "Zhaocai Shizhe" and "Lishi Xianguan". Because his duties were related to wealth, the people also regarded him as the God of Wealth. However, the "Three Religions Origin and Flow of Gods" in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty said that Zhao Gongming was a native of Mount Zhongnan, who had been practicing in seclusion in the mountains since the Qin Dynasty. After his success, he was conferred the title of "Zhengyi Xuantan Marshal" by the Jade Emperor, abbreviated as "Zhao Xuantan". The God of Wealth worshipped in the old days had a fierce look, and his whole body seemed to say "not to be trifled with". Most of them had black faces and thick beards, wide eyes, wore iron crowns, held steel whips in one hand and ingots in the other, and rode black tigers, hence the name "Black Tiger Xuantan". This version of Zhao Gongming was in charge of eliminating plagues and cruelty, and driving away diseases and disasters. If there was injustice that was difficult to redress, he would administer justice; if it was for business, he could also make people profit. Therefore, although his main job was not the God of Wealth, his divine power to make people profit was not replaced by other gods, so the people regarded him as the God of Wealth.

Wuqiang New Year Picture "The God of Wealth and Blessings".

It is a custom for almost every household to welcome the God of Wealth on the fifth day of the first lunar month during the Spring Festival. This custom was very popular in the Ming Dynasty and has been influential until now. There is still a saying among the people that "setting off firecrackers means the God of Wealth is coming."

But he is lazy and casual, and only comes down from the Dragon and Tiger Temple once a year on the fifth day of the first lunar month, and no one knows where he will go. So every household gets up early on this day to set off firecrackers, burn incense and offer sacrifices, hoping to welcome the God of Wealth back to their home before others do. However, some people have learned that the birthday of the God of Wealth is actually on the 22nd day of the seventh lunar month, so they do not join the excitement of the fifth day of the first lunar month, but quietly prepare a grand sacrifice on this day to celebrate the birthday of the God of Wealth. Now we can also see that some businesses have large or small "God of Wealth shrines" in their stores, and they suddenly put out four dishes and a soup on the 22nd day of the seventh lunar month for this reason.

There are countless folk New Year paintings about the God of Wealth, and the most common ones include "The God of Wealth Blesses", "Attracting Wealth and Treasures", "Good Luck in the Opening of the Market", etc. In addition to the protagonist Zhao Gongming, the paintings generally also depict his four subordinates - Zhaobao, Nazhen, Zhaocai, and Lishi, who are either on both sides or around Zhao Gongming. Zhao Gongming is still dressed in military uniform, riding a black tiger, holding a whip in one hand and a treasure in the other. Zhaobao holds a gold ingot; Nazhen holds a treasure bowl; Zhaocai holds a blue dragon in his hand, and sometimes holds a string of blue dragon-shaped copper coins; Lishi holds a small flag with the words "Yilihehe" written on it. There is also a saying among the people that Zhao Gongming and his four subordinates are collectively called the "Five Gods of Wealth", and they are worshipped together, with the intention of bringing wealth everywhere.

The God of Wealth in New Year Pictures

Another well-known God of Wealth is Guan Yu, also known as Guan Yunchang.

From Chen Shou's "Records of the Three Kingdoms" to Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the stories and legends of the Three Kingdoms are still a topic of great interest to people. The image of Guan Yu gradually "went out of the circle", and he gradually walked out of the fields of literature and history, becoming a unique symbol and symbol. The ethical morals worshipped by Confucianism, such as loyalty, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness, are all attached to the image of Guan Yu without exception, and with these, Guan Yu naturally became an orthodox idol that attracted worldwide attention. The folk worship of Guan Gong is very prosperous, and his temples are almost all over the country. Guan Gong is almost in charge of everything, and the financial management is just one of his divine duties. In addition, Guan Gong can also manage life and fortune, help with imperial examinations and reading, eliminate disasters and diseases, exorcise demons and ward off evil spirits, inspect the underworld, manage wind and rain, and protect merchants. People worship Guan Gong so much mainly because of his loyalty. Taking Guan Gong, who is loyal, righteous, and honest, as the God of Wealth is actually reminding people: Gentlemen love money and get it in a proper way. According to legend, Guan Yu was also in charge of a military station. He was good at math and was a trustworthy and loyal person. Therefore, he was respected as a patron saint by businessmen and was also regarded as the God of Wealth.

Guan Gong has thus become a typical symbol in Chinese beliefs, with temples all over the world. Wherever Chinese people gather, there is Guan Gong. In Chinese culture, Guan Gong is far more than just a god of wealth, industry, or protection. After generations of inheritance and accumulation, Guan Gong is regarded as the authority symbolizing Chinese morality and order, and thus has formed an unbreakable bond in the hearts of Chinese people.

Henan Anyang Woodcarving - Zhao Gongming

Three Stars of Fortune, Longevity and Happiness - Auspicious Stars Shining Brightly

The three stars of Fu, Lu and Shou can be said to be the most popular group of auspicious gods among the Chinese people. As the saying goes, "Fu, Lu and Shou on earth are the three auspicious stars in heaven." They represent the three most ideal aspects of life for the ancients: happiness, wealth and longevity, and embody the values and orientation of traditional life. It can be said that people pursue Fu, Lu and Shou as much as they like the three stars. They are simple and plain traditional blessing gods of the nation, full of the flavor of the countryside, bringing peace and joy to the world. The folk song sings: "Fuxing sits high and bestows blessings, Luxing sends children down the auspicious clouds; Shouxing rides a deer and sends peaches, and the three stars shine brightly and bring joy to the door." Fuxing holds a Ruyi in his hand and wears luxurious clothes, Luxing wears a peony on his head and smiles, and Shouxing holds a fairy peach in one hand and a dragon-headed cane in the other. They came to the world in the auspicious clouds.

Ming Dynasty Fu Lu Shou God statue

Among the three stars, people generally take the lucky star as the center. The lucky star hanging in the sky becomes the god of fortune after being personified. Because the connotation and extension of "blessing" are extremely broad, the lucky star is also the most popular among the people. It includes blessings, good fortune, luck, happiness, etc. "Han Feizi" said: "Full life and wealth are called happiness." There is a saying of "five blessings" among the people: "One is longevity, two is wealth, three is health, four is good virtue, and five is old age and death." There are also many people who believe that "longevity, wealth, nobility, happiness, and many descendants" are the "five blessings." Regardless of the specific content of the five blessings, the word "blessing" alone is enough to make people yearn for it.

New Year Pictures of Fu Shou Tian Guan

The God of Fortune is worshipped as an idol by the people. People expect the God of Fortune to bring blessings to the world. However, it is not very clear who the God of Fortune is, and there have been different opinions throughout history. Generally speaking, the God of Fortune is the "Heavenly Official" among the "Three Officials". There is also a saying among the people that "the Heavenly Official bestows blessings", and the "Three Officials" originated from Taoism, namely the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling and others founded Taoism. After he passed away, his sons inherited his father's business and continued to promote and develop Taoism. He claimed that if believers were sick, they did not need to seek medical treatment. They only needed to write the patient's name on a piece of paper and explain why they were punished to be sick. They wrote three copies in total and gave them to the Heaven, the Earth, and the Water respectively. The one for the Heaven was buried in the mountain, the one for the Earth was buried in the flat ground, and the one for the Water was sunk in the water. This was the "Three Officials Book". The disease could be cured when the book was received, because the Heavenly Official could bless, the Earthly Official could forgive sins, and the Water Official could help people get rid of bad luck. The saying "the heavenly official blesses" is easy to remember and auspicious, so it is widely popular. Therefore, the heavenly official is worshipped as the god of fortune, and "the heavenly official blesses" has become an important theme of New Year pictures. Every household posts New Year pictures in the hope that the heavenly official will bring happiness and good luck. In addition to the "god of fortune", the heavenly official is also called the lucky star and the lucky judge. Their appearance is typical of the official of the Ministry of Personnel, dressed in court official attire, wearing a red robe, a dragon-embroidered jade belt around the waist, holding a big Ruyi in the hand, wearing court boots, with regular facial features, sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and a steady and majestic temperament, but also kind and kind, with a cheerful and elegant demeanor. The heavenly official is often accompanied by a boy, holding a treasure bottle in his hand, with magnolia and peony in the bottle, which means "wealth and honor in the jade hall". Some heavenly officials are different. They smile more happily, holding a boy in their arms, and four boys under their knees. The boys hold fresh peaches, symbolizing longevity; spring plums, symbolizing joy; pomegranates, symbolizing a large family; lotus flowers, symbolizing promotion and wealth; or carp lanterns, symbolizing wealth and fish.

New Year Pictures of Fu Shou Tian Guan

Six of the Big Dipper are collectively called Wenchang officials, and the sixth star is Luxing. Sima Qian recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian: Book of Celestial Officials": "The Wenchang officials are: the first is the general, the second is the deputy general, the third is the noble minister, the fourth is the Siming, the fifth is the Siming, and the sixth is the Siming." "Si Lu" means the one who is in charge of fame, wealth and fortune, that is, Luxing. The legendary Luxing has a complex identity. Some people believe that he is the Wenchang star that blesses candidates to pass the exams, while others believe that he was originally a Taoist priest with special skills. In short, Luxing represents all aspects of people's career prospects.

"Heavenly Official Blessing Spring" in Fujian during the Qing Dynasty

Entering the Sui and Tang Dynasties, due to the rise of the imperial examination, fame, wealth and status have become two sides of the same coin, and the star of wealth can control the literary fortune, so it naturally gradually became popular. The imperial examination gave ordinary people the opportunity to become "superior people", but the imperial examination was also a one-plank bridge for thousands of troops. When reality and hope are not equal, no matter whether you have read books or not, you will naturally try to think of ways on the gods. So the star of wealth in Wenchangguan not only shines in the sky, but also shines in people's hearts. By the Northern Song Dynasty, the star of wealth was even called the star of Wenchang. The Qiqushan Wenchang Temple in Zitong County, Mianyang, Sichuan, is the oldest existing Wenchang Temple and the ancestral temple of all Wenchang Temples in the world. There are statues of gods cast in the Song Dynasty in the Qiqushan Wenchang Temple, each weighing 12,000 kilograms. It seems that because the statues have extraordinary "weight", they have survived thousands of years without being damaged, and have survived wars and wars, and have been preserved to this day. It is these statues that allow people today to have the opportunity to see the true face of Wenchang Star a thousand years ago. Wenchang Star in the Song Dynasty also looked like an important official of the court, with clerks and servants standing on his left and right, which further highlighted his noble and extraordinary demeanor. Auspicious patterns such as "standing first" and "winning the first prize" are almost everywhere in the temple, as if every place sincerely wishes you success in the imperial examination. And this place has naturally become a blessed place for scholars of all generations to make wishes. Wenchang Star is a patron saint and a lucky star for them.

In the Ming Dynasty, Luxing continued to expand its business scope and was also regarded as a god who delivered children. In the early Ming Dynasty, the lyrics of "Luxing came down to earth with a child in his arms" appeared in the libretto. According to folklore, the surname of Luxing was Zhang, so Luxing was also called the immortal who delivered children. According to the "General History of Immortals in History", this immortal surnamed Zhang was a Taoist priest in the Five Dynasties. His original name was Zhang Yuanxiao. He became an immortal in Qingcheng Mountain. He was good at slingshot skills and never missed a shot. He was specifically targeting those demons and monsters that were causing trouble in the world. From the Five Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, he had become famous in the Bashu area. The story of Zhang Xian delivering children was first seen in the notes of literati in the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Xun even said in "Zhang Xian Zhe" that his two sons, Su Shi and Su Zhe, were sent by Zhang Xian in a dream.

The two brothers took the imperial examination in the same year and both passed the examination. This caused a sensation in the court and became famous all over the world. The immortal Zhang who gave birth to a child naturally played an indispensable role and became famous. Luxing went from being a star in the sky to a deity in charge of honors and salaries. He could help scholars pass the imperial examinations and give mortals children. Therefore, he became an indispensable member of the Three Immortals.

The way to worship the God of Fortune is similar to that of worshipping the God of Blessings, mainly by posting New Year pictures of the God of Fortune. In addition to the God of Fortune, there are usually two boys in the picture, one called "Heavenly Deaf" and the other called "Earthly Mute". Legend has it that the questions for the imperial examinations were set by Emperor Wenchang, and the arrangement of two fairy boys, one deaf and one mute, as assistants was to keep the questions confidential and to be fair to the scholars. In addition to the God of Fortune and Emperor Wenchang, who evolved from him, there is also the God of Kuixing who is in charge of fame, wealth and fortune. Kuixing is the general name of the four stars in the Big Dipper, and "Kui" originally means the first, so it is not surprising that scholars worship Kuixing. The image of Kuixing is directly imagined based on the shape of the character Kui - a god who looks like a ghost. In the pictures related to Kuixing, Kuixing either kicks a bucket with his feet or holds a bucket in his hands, which is quite a performance art. Some pictures also depict a ghost standing on the head of a giant turtle, raising his foot to lift the bucket, looking back and tapping it with a pen, which is called "Kuixing points to the bucket, occupying the first place".

"The Immortal of Longevity with the Chinese Character Fu" from Zhuxian Town, Henan Province, Qing Dynasty

There are many gods in charge of longevity, but the God of Longevity is undoubtedly the most influential one. Its prototype is a star, which is the first two of the seven stars of the Eastern Azure Dragon, namely Jiao and Kang. Guo Pu's commentary on Er Ya: Shi Tian says that the God of Longevity "starts from Jiao and Kang, and is the longest of the stars, so it is called Shou". Because Jiao and Kang are the longest of the stars, they are in charge of longevity. Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian: Book of Celestial Officials also records that when the Qin Dynasty unified the country, it built a temple for the God of Longevity in Xianyang to worship the God of Longevity.

According to the "Book of Han·Rituals", Emperor Ming of Han arranged a special banquet during a ceremony to worship the God of Longevity. He invited all the elderly people in the world, as long as they were over 70 years old, whether they were nobles or commoners, to be the guests of Emperor Ming of Han. After the banquet, Emperor Ming of Han also gave each elderly person some wine, meat, rice and a beautifully crafted cane, which is the origin of the cane held by the God of Longevity. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the political and educational function of the God of Longevity was weakened, and the cane of the God of Longevity gradually changed. The cane was gradually replaced by a peach cane. It is said that peach wood can cure diseases, strengthen the body, and prolong life. Therefore, the cane, which used to symbolize nobility and privilege, became a symbol of longevity and auspiciousness in the hands of the God of Longevity. The Ming Dynasty even abolished the system of state worship of the God of Longevity since the Qin and Han Dynasties. The political color of the God of Longevity was completely abolished, and it began to run towards the embrace of the people, becoming the most secular god in China.

Stone Sculpture - Three Stars of Fortune, Longevity and Happiness

When it comes to longevity, one naturally thinks of health preservation. The integration of Taoist health preservation concepts has even changed the image of the birthday star, the most obvious of which is the birthday star's big forehead. The oldest existing birthday star image may be the birthday star in the murals of Yongle Palace in Shanxi. Among the many gods, the birthday star is undoubtedly the easiest to identify, precisely because of his big forehead. Legend has it that the birthday star's birth was more difficult than Nezha. His mother was pregnant for nine years and still couldn't give birth. She was very anxious and asked the child in her belly: "Son, why don't you come out?" The birthday star replied in the womb: "When the eyes of the stone lion at the door of my house bleed, I will be born." This was heard by the butcher next door, so he smeared the eyes of the stone lion with pig blood. The mother told the birthday star that the time had come, and he hurriedly drilled out from her mother's armpit. Because he was still underage when he was born, his head was long and bulging. The birthday star's mother's extraordinary pregnancy time also indicates that the birthday star's life is extraordinary, which can bring longevity to people.

Hebei Folk Paper-cutting Stone Sculpture of the God of Longevity Riding a Deer

The stereotyped images of the Three Stars of Fortune, Longevity and Happiness have been widely popular since the Ming Dynasty, and have been used in paintings, architecture, furniture, and especially New Year pictures. The most typical New Year picture of the Three Stars of Fortune, Longevity and Happiness has the Fortune Star in the center, the Wealth Star on the right, and the Longevity Star on the left. Such New Year pictures were often hung in the central hall in the past.

Book cover of "Good Luck and Good Fortune: Chinese Folk Stories You Don't Know"

Note: Part of the text of this article is excerpted from "Good Luck and Good Fortune - Chinese Folk Stories You Don't Know" published by Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House. The author is Yin Xiaofei, a doctor of literature, director of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Research Center of East China Normal University, vice president of the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Association, and a member of the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Expert Committee. Ji Han is a doctoral student in literature and art at East China Normal University.