God of Wealth (Cai Shen)

Introduction

In the small hours of the 5th day of the first lunar month, shops all over Taiwan are awake at almost the same moment — firecrackers go off down the street as every business reopens to 'welcome the God of Wealth.' The guest of honor is Caishen Ye, the God of Wealth. The most common in Taiwan is the martial god of wealth Zhao Gongming, also called Xuantan Zhenjun; together with four generals of the east, west, south, and north, they are known as the Gods of Wealth of the Five Directions, symbolizing money flowing in from every road. His job couldn't be more direct: money. Merchants pray for thriving business, office workers for raises and promotions, lottery players for windfall luck — and Taiwanese worship him in very practical ways: bringing bankbooks, business cards, and receipts to a wealth temple to pass them through the incense smoke for a blessing, or lining up at Zinan Temple in Zhushan, Nantou, to borrow 'fortune money' as seed money, a practice that draws several million visits a year. To soak up some wealth energy, visit Beigang Wude Palace in Yunlin, the founding temple of the Gods of Wealth of the Five Directions — its 'Heavenly Treasury' furnace, billed as the largest in the world, is impressive just to look at.

Legend & Origin

The origin of the martial god of wealth Zhao Gongming is recorded in Investiture of the Gods — and he started out on the losing side.

At the end of the Shang dynasty, Zhao Gongming had cultivated the Tao on Mount Emei for many years and had mastered powerful magic. When King Wu of Zhou rose against King Zhou of Shang, Zhao was asked to come down the mountain to help the Shang. Riding a black tiger and wielding an iron whip, he left Jiang Ziya's army helpless. In the end, Jiang Ziya used a secret curse, the 'Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Scroll,' to work against him in secret, and Zhao Gongming's life force drained away until he died — a great master who fell not on the battlefield but to a hidden scheme.

When the gods were invested, Jiang Ziya weighed his life: though he had chosen the wrong side, he had been loyal and righteous and deeply versed in the Tao. So he was named 'Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Dragon-Tiger Xuantan Zhenjun,' commanding four generals — of treasure, of riches, of wealth, and of profitable trade — and placed in charge of the world's wealth.

He lost the war but won a thousand years of incense. The most important god of wealth in the Chinese world is a loyal man honored even in defeat. It's a reminder to everyone who comes asking for money: what the God of Wealth respects is wealth earned the honest way.

Worship Guide

Offerings to the God of Wealth are all about prosperity and good omens: fa gao (for getting rich), pineapple (for fortune coming your way), tangerines (for great luck), and apples (for safety). Cakes shaped like gold ingots fit the occasion perfectly, and the joss paper should be 'God of Wealth gold.' Business owners can set out five kinds of fruit beside the cash register.

The most Taiwanese way to worship? Bring your bankbook, business cards, or receipts to a wealth temple and pass them through the incense smoke for the god's blessing. You can also go to Zinan Temple in Zhushan and cast the moon blocks to borrow 600 NT dollars in fortune money as seed money — just remember to repay it, with interest, the following year.

Key dates: the 5th day of the first lunar month, when businesses reopen to welcome the God of Wealth, and the zuo ya offerings on the 2nd and 16th of every lunar month. Honest income and career success are the right things to ask for; if you're after crooked money, don't even bother asking.

Festivals

Welcoming the God of Wealth on the 5th day of the first lunar month is his most important festival. In the early hours of that day, businesses across Taiwan set off firecrackers and burn joss paper to welcome the God of Wealth into their premises. Shops choose this day to reopen for the new year, a custom known as 'po wu' (breaking the fifth), symbolizing an auspicious start to the year's work. The zuo ya offerings on the 2nd and 16th of each lunar month are also closely tied to the worship of the God of Wealth.

Famous Temples

⛩️ Beigang Wude Palace Details →

Yunlin County

The founding temple of the Gods of Wealth of the Five Directions in Taiwan. Its giant 'Heavenly Treasury' furnace is billed as the largest in the world, symbolizing an overflowing treasury.

⛩️ Zhushan Zinan Temple Details →

Nantou County

Although its main deity is Tudigong, its reputation for answering prayers for wealth makes it one of the most important wealth temples. The custom of borrowing fortune money keeps crowds coming all year round.

⛩️ Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple Details →

New Taipei City

Its giant Tudigong statue has become a landmark of northern Taiwan.