Menshen
| Menshen | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Menshen in Taiwan | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 門神 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 门神 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | gate god(s) | ||||||||||||||
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| Martial Door Gods | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 武門神 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 武门神 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | military gate god(s) | ||||||||||||||
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| Civil Door Gods | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 文門神 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 文门神 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | literary gate god(s) | ||||||||||||||
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| Chinese folk religion |
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Menshen, or door gods, are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu (Chinese: 神荼; Jyutping: San4syu1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sîn-su) and Yulü (Chinese: 鬱壘; Jyutping: Wat1leot6; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ut-lu̍t) under the Han, but the deified generals Qin Shubao (Chinese: 秦叔寶; Jyutping: Ceon4 Suk1bou2; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chîn Siok-pó) and Yuchi Gong (Chinese: 尉遲恭; Jyutping: Wat1ci4 Gung1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ut-tî Kiong) have been more popular since the Tang. In cases where a door god is affixed to a single door, Wei Zheng or Zhong Kui is commonly used.