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	\|vie=Thần Tài		\|vie=Thần Tài
	\|chunom={{linktext\|神\|財}}}}		\|chunom={{linktext\|神\|財}}}}
	'''Caishen''' ({{zh\|t=財神\|s=财神\|l=God of Wealth}}) is the ] god of prosperity worshipped in the ] and ]. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (赵公明, ]: ''Chao Kung-ming'', also known as '''Zhao Gong ]''' 趙公元帥 "Lord Zhao the Marshal"), ], and ].<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">'']'', </ref> A large temple of Caishen has been built in the 2000s in ], ], ].		'''Caishen''' ({{zh\|t=財神\|s=财神\|l=God of Wealth}}) is the ] god of prosperity worshipped in the ] and ]. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (趙公明, ]: ''Chao Kung-ming'', also known as '''Zhao Gong ]''' 趙公元帥 "Lord Zhao the Marshal"), ], and ].<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">'']'', </ref> A large temple of Caishen has been built in the 2000s in ], ], ].

	Caishen's name is often invoked during the ] celebrations.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/> He is often depicted riding a black ] and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and ] into ].		Caishen's name is often invoked during the ] celebrations.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/> He is often depicted riding a black ] and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and ] into ].
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	\|-		\|-
	\|1		\|1
	\|Centre (Chinese: 中路财神)		\|Centre (Chinese: 中路財神)
	\|Zhao Gong Ming (Chinese: 赵公明)		\|Zhao Gong Ming (Chinese: 趙公明)
	\|Military God of Wealth (Chinese: 武财神)		\|Military God of Wealth (Chinese: 武財神)
	\|-		\|-
	\|2		\|2
	\|East (Chinese: 东路财神)		\|East (Chinese: 東路財神)
	\|Xiao Sheng (Chinese: 萧升)		\|Xiao Sheng (Chinese: 蕭升)
	\|God of Collecting Treasures (Chinese: 招宝天尊)		\|God of Collecting Treasures (Chinese: 招寶天尊)
	\|-		\|-
	\|3		\|3
	\|West (Chinese: 西路财神)		\|West (Chinese: 西路財神)
	\|Cao Bao (Chinese: 曹宝)		\|Cao Bao (Chinese: 曹寶)
	\|God of Collecting Valuables (Chinese: 纳珍天尊)		\|God of Collecting Valuables (Chinese: 納珍天尊)
	\|-		\|-
	\|4		\|4
	\|North (Chinese: 北路财神)		\|North (Chinese: 北路財神)
	\|Yao Shao Si (Chinese: 姚少司)		\|Yao Shao Si (Chinese: 姚少司)
	\|God of Profitability (Chinese: 利市仙官)		\|God of Profitability (Chinese: 利市仙官)
	\|-		\|-
	\|5		\|5
	\|South (Chinese: 南路财神)		\|South (Chinese: 南路財神)
	\|Chen Jiu Gong (Chinese: 陈九公)		\|Chen Jiu Gong (Chinese: 陳九公)
	\|God of Attracting Wealth (Chinese: 招财使者)		\|God of Attracting Wealth (Chinese: 招財使者)
	\|-		\|-
	\|6		\|6
	\|South-East (Chinese: 东南路财神)		\|South-East (Chinese: 東南路財神)
	\|] (Chinese: 韩信爷)		\|] (Chinese: 韓信爺)
	\|God of Gambling (Chinese: 大赌神)		\|God of Gambling (Chinese: 大賭神)
	\|-		\|-
	\|7		\|7
	\|South-West (Chinese: 西南路财神)		\|South-West (Chinese: 西南路財神)
	\|] (Chinese: 刘海)		\|] (Chinese: 劉海)
	\|God of Luck (Chinese: 偏财神)		\|God of Luck (Chinese: 偏財神)
	\|-		\|-
	\|8		\|8
	\|North-East (Chinese: 东北路财神)		\|North-East (Chinese: 東北路財神)
	\|Shen Wanshan (Chinese: 沈万山)		\|Shen Wanshan (Chinese: 沈萬山)
	\|God of Gold (Chinese: 金财神)		\|God of Gold (Chinese: 金財神)
	\|-		\|-
	\|9		\|9
	\|North-West (Chinese: 西北路财神)		\|North-West (Chinese: 西北路財神)
	\|Tao Zhugong (Chinese: 陶朱公)		\|Tao Zhugong (Chinese: 陶朱公)
	\|Civil God of Wealth (Chinese: 文财神)		\|Civil God of Wealth (Chinese: 文財神)
	\|}		\|}

Revision as of 07:40, 12 December 2018

God of Wealth / Caishen

Altar of the martial form of Caishen (central statue) at the Temple of the Dragon and the Phoenix (龍鳳宮), in the Miaoli County of Taiwan.

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese

財神

Simplified Chinese

财神

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Cái Shén
Wade–Giles	Tsai2 Shen2
Hakka
Romanization	Choy Sin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Chòih Sàhn
Jyutping	Coi4 San4
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Chhâi-sîn
Tâi-lô	Tsâi-sîn

Vietnamese name

Vietnamese

Thần Tài

Chữ Nôm

神財

Caishen (simplified Chinese: 财神; traditional Chinese: 財神; lit. 'God of Wealth') is the Chinese god of prosperity worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (趙公明, Wade–Giles: Chao Kung-ming, also known as Zhao Gong Yuanshuai 趙公元帥 "Lord Zhao the Marshal"), Fan Li, and Bi Gan. A large temple of Caishen has been built in the 2000s in Zhouzhi, Xi'an, Shaanxi.

Caishen's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold.

Historical personages

Several versions of Caishen's incarnations' political affiliation and way of deification are circulated. It is unclear whether they are genuine historical figures, though most of the stories agree that Caishen's most popular incarnation lived during the early Qin dynasty. Most probably it represents the merging of several heterogeneous legends, the one of Bi Gan being the most ancient.

Legend has it that Bi Gan had a wife with the surname Chen. His son was Quan (泉). After Bi Gan was put to death by his nephew King Zhou of Shang, Bi Gan's wife and son escaped into the woods. His death eventually marked the collapse of the Shang dynasty. Later on, Quan was honoured as the ancestor of all Lins by King Wu of Zhou.

Notwithstanding the above, there is another legendary character of the Chinese God of Wealth which is generally known as Caibo Xingjun (財帛星君) amongst Chinese communities. Li Guizu (李詭祖) was born in the Zichuan District in Shandong Province and held position as a country magistrate. Li Guizu contributed significantly to the district, whilst people built a temple to worship Li Guizu after his death. The late Li Guizu was then conferred the title Caibo Xingjun by the Wude Emperor of Tang dynasty.

The Caishen of all directions

No.	Direction	Name	Title
1	Centre (Chinese: 中路財神)	Zhao Gong Ming (Chinese: 趙公明)	Military God of Wealth (Chinese: 武財神)
2	East (Chinese: 東路財神)	Xiao Sheng (Chinese: 蕭升)	God of Collecting Treasures (Chinese: 招寶天尊)
3	West (Chinese: 西路財神)	Cao Bao (Chinese: 曹寶)	God of Collecting Valuables (Chinese: 納珍天尊)
4	North (Chinese: 北路財神)	Yao Shao Si (Chinese: 姚少司)	God of Profitability (Chinese: 利市仙官)
5	South (Chinese: 南路財神)	Chen Jiu Gong (Chinese: 陳九公)	God of Attracting Wealth (Chinese: 招財使者)
6	South-East (Chinese: 東南路財神)	Han Xin Ye (Chinese: 韓信爺)	God of Gambling (Chinese: 大賭神)
7	South-West (Chinese: 西南路財神)	Liu Hai (Chinese: 劉海)	God of Luck (Chinese: 偏財神)
8	North-East (Chinese: 東北路財神)	Shen Wanshan (Chinese: 沈萬山)	God of Gold (Chinese: 金財神)
9	North-West (Chinese: 西北路財神)	Tao Zhugong (Chinese: 陶朱公)	Civil God of Wealth (Chinese: 文財神)

Caishen sometimes appears as a door god in Chinese and Taoist temples, usually in partnership with the Burning-Lamp Taoist.

Buddhism

Though Caishen is a Chinese folk deity, many Pure Land Buddhists venerate him as a buddha. In esoteric Buddhist schools he is identified as Jambhala.

Notes

^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Ts'ai Shen"

External links

Media related to God of Wealth at Wikimedia Commons

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