Tudigong

A Tudigong () is a kind of Chinese tutelary deity of a specific location.

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. They are portrayed as old men with long beards.

They are considered to be among the lowest ranked divinities,

The deities are considered to have a kind of appointed position like an alderman, with different deities being appointed to different areas.

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 () or Tudishen (), also known simply as Tudi () and translated as Lord of the Earth,

Tugong ( "Lord of the Soil");
Tudiye ( "Soil-Ground Father");
Dabogong ( "Great Elder Lord") or Bogong ( "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 ( "God of the Soil") or Shegong ( "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 ( "Ruler God of the Soil").

Extended titles of the god include:

Tudihuofushen ( "God who May Bless the Soil");
Fudezhengshen ( "Right God of Blessing and Virtue") or Fudegong ( "Lord of Blessing and Virtue").

Commoners often call their local Tudigong "grandfather" (yeye), which reflects the close relationship with the common people.

Sheshen (社神), also known as Tudigongs, are Chinese deities associated with the soil.

The character 社 is now primarily associated with Society, being present in such compounds as socialism () and sociology (社会学, Shèhuì xué) and social media (社群媒體, Shè qún méitǐ).

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.

Sheshen are associated with soil and grain (shèjì, 社稷), with both sometimes being personified as husband and wife.

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

Sacrifices to Sheshen transitioned to sacrifices to Tudigong. The second day of the second month is said to be Tudigong's birthday. Today these deities are associated with Ritual opera.

Temples

thumb|upright|A Tudigong Temple in [[Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.]]

Tudigong temples are common across China, Tibet, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong.

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.

Existing Temples

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

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

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Names

Temples

Existing Temples

Gallery

See also

References