The God of Wealth in Chinese Popular Faith
The God of Wealth is the deity governing riches in Chinese popular faith and the Daoist system; the archetypal figure worshipped varies by region, with several accounts coexisting — Bi Gan, Zhao Gongming, Guan Yu (Lord Guan as god of wealth, for his byword of "honor"), and more — reflecting the "many gods worshipped together, each to his need" character of Chinese popular faith. "Welcoming the God of Wealth" at the Lunar New Year is an important custom in Chinese society, embodying the close ties of popular faith with daily life and commercial culture.
In Daoist tradition Zhao Gongming was originally a plague god, who gradually evolved into the chief god of wealth commanding the four wealth deities of "summoning treasure, gathering gems, bringing wealth, and profiting the market"; the Ming novel Investiture of the Gods further cast him as a martial god of wealth riding a black tiger and wielding an iron whip, a literary image that deeply shaped the statuary of later wealth-god temples.
The archetype of the God of Wealth worshipped varies across China, with several accounts coexisting — Bi Gan, Zhao Gongming, Guan Yu, and more — reflecting the "many gods worshipped together, each to his need" character of Chinese popular faith; this site presents the relatively widespread Zhao Gongming version.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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