Often referred to as the Earth God or Lord of Land, Tudi Gong (Tu Di, Tu Gong, and Dabo Gong) is the lowest-ranking yet one of the most-widely worshipped Taoist and Popular Folk Religion deities. Tudi’s jurisdiction was limited to a single place such as a temple, public building, private home or a even field and every city, village, town, community and farm had its own unique Tudi Gong image which protected common people – farmers, businessmen, shopkeepers, homemakers – and their community during crises like drought or famine and controlled their prosperity and fortune. Portrayed as a benign and friendly old man with a voluminous beard he is often accompanied by his wife Tudi Po. See Blog: Tudi Gong: the Taoist and Popular Religion Earth God.
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Tudi Gong is the Chinese Earth or Land God referred to by many names and often fondly referred to by commoners as “Grandpa.” He is a syncretic deity and tutelary deity, responsible for administrating and protecting the affairs of small towns and villages, especially issues concerning agriculture or wealth, and is believed to control the…
This amusing antique Nuo Opera mask portrays Tudi Gong, the benevolent Earth god with a smiling animated face, long eyebrows, a hemp beard and large ears wearing a high decorative hat. Tudi is a zhengshen, a god who is kindly, honest with a gentle disposition, symbolizing the great power of good, through which evil can be defeated. Nuo was popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties and although they are still performed in rural areas, there are few remaining troupes.
This antique stone Tudi Gong statue was finely crafted by a local provincial artisan and reflects many traditional characteristics of this beloved lower status deity: a benevolent face, voluminous rotund belly, slouched shoulders, and holding taels to bestow wealth and fortune and maybe assurances to rural common folk. In his past he rested happily on an outdoor shrine, and would be very happy to continue doing so in a home garden to bring prosperity and an aura of past times to a new family.
These carvings of the Taoist-Deities Tudi Gong and his wife Tudi Po are from rural Southern China where they were frequently depicted together as house-gods on a home altar or local temple for farmers to pray to for abundant harvests and success in selling their products. Although Tudi Gong is a low ranking deity, he…
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