Xuantian Shangdi (Supreme Emperor of Dark Heaven)

Introduction

Standing on a tortoise and a snake, hair loose, feet bare, holding a seven-star sword — that unmistakable figure is Xuantian Shangdi, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, commonly called Shangdi Gong or Diye Gong, and also known as Zhenwu Dadi or Beiji Dadi. He holds a very high rank in Taoism, governing the seven stars of the north and occupying the seat of the Black Tortoise. In Taiwan he is known for his fierce power to drive out demons and subdue evil — when something sinister, ill-omened, or unclean happens, Shangdi Gong is the first god many people think of, and many spirit mediums and ritual masters take him as their principal deity. Every year around his birthday on the 3rd day of the third lunar month, pilgrims stream to Songboling Shoutian Temple in Nantou, the head temple with the most branch temples of Xuantian Shangdi in Taiwan. One small detail: Xuantian Shangdi belongs to the north, whose element is water, and the color of water is black — so his statues and temples are mostly in black tones. Look for it next time you visit.

Legend & Origin

The most widely told version is the story of a butcher.

Legend says that in a past life Xuantian Shangdi was a butcher who had taken many lives. One day an immortal enlightened him; he woke up to what he had done and resolved to lay down his knife and cultivate himself to atone. He cut open his own belly and took out his intestines and stomach as a sign of repentance. But the intestines fell into the water and became a snake, and the stomach became a tortoise, and the two stirred up storms in the water and brought harm to the people.

After long cultivation, the butcher's spirit finally attained the Tao and became a god. But the tortoise and the snake were his own karma, and no one else could deal with them for him. So he stepped on them himself, holding them down forever. That is why statues of Xuantian Shangdi always show him standing on a tortoise and a snake — they aren't his mounts; they're the past he overcame.

Lay down the butcher's knife: however deep the sin, sincere repentance gives you a chance to start over. But the karma you create, you must face yourself — that is the deepest lesson this fierce warrior god leaves to the world. (The more orthodox Taoist account holds that he is an incarnation of Taishang Laojun who cultivated on Mount Wudang for forty-two years before ascending to become a god.)

Worship Guide

To worship Xuantian Shangdi, the three sacrificial meats, five fruits, tea, and wine are enough. Some places avoid offerings shaped like tortoises or snakes (such as red tortoise cakes), so it's safest to ask the temple before you pray.

What's best to pray for? Driving out evil and subduing bad influences is Shangdi Gong's specialty: bring a child who has had a fright for shoujing, the rite for calming a frightened spirit; ask for protection for your home before moving or breaking ground; or, if you feel you've run into something unclean, ask the temple for purifying talisman water to sprinkle and clear it away.

Around his birthday on the 3rd day of the third lunar month, his temples hold traditional rites such as fire-walking and crawling beneath the palanquin, and the stream of pilgrims to Songboling Shoutian Temple is the event of the year.

Festivals

For Xuantian Shangdi's birthday on the 3rd day of the third lunar month, Songboling Shoutian Temple in Nantou holds a grand celebration. Xuantian Shangdi temples elsewhere also hold traditional rites such as fire-walking and crawling beneath the palanquin.

Famous Temples

⛩️ Songboling Shoutian Temple Details →

Nantou County

The head temple with the most branch temples of Xuantian Shangdi in Taiwan. Set at the southern end of the Bagua Mountains with excellent views, it is an important pilgrimage center in Taiwan.