Yue Lao (Old Man Under the Moon)

Yue Lao's most famous appearance came on a moonlit night in the Tang dynasty. A scholar named Wei Gu, outside an inn, came across a white-bearded old man leafing through a large book by the light of the moon. Curious, Wei Gu asked what it was. The old man said, 'This is the marriage register of everyone under heaven.'

Wei Gu eagerly asked about his own marriage. The old man flipped a few pages and pointed to a little girl in the arms of an old woman across the street: 'That's her.' Wei Gu looked — small and grubby, nothing like what he had imagined. He was so angry that he sent someone to kill her. The assassin couldn't bring himself to do it and only left a cut between the girl's eyebrows.

Fourteen years later, Wei Gu married a beautiful wife. On their wedding night he noticed a scar between her brows, and when he asked — she was that very girl.

Fourteen years of running, a long way around, and he still ended up at the other end of the red thread. The story has been told for a thousand years, and it says one thing: the red thread Yue Lao ties can't be cut, not even with a blade.

What do you ask Yue Lao for? Finding a partner, a good match, a smooth relationship. Note: Yue Lao only handles 'true matches' — if you want to break up a couple or take someone else's partner, he won't take the case.

How to pray: first introduce yourself to Yue Lao (name, birthday, address, and your current relationship status), then sincerely describe the qualities of your ideal partner — be specific, but don't go overboard. Then ask for a red thread, put it in your wallet and keep it with you; don't wash it or lose it until you meet the right person.

Recommended offerings: red dates, longans, peanuts, and lotus seeds — together a pun on 'may you soon have a precious child' — plus some candy to keep the relationship sweet.

The most important taboo: don't bring an umbrella when you pray to Yue Lao — the word for 'umbrella' sounds like 'to break apart.' Once you've found your match, remember to bring your partner back to give thanks with wedding cakes; that's what Yue Lao loves to see most.

Yue Lao has no particular birthday celebration, but every year around Qixi (the 7th day of the seventh lunar month, the Chinese Valentine's Day) and Valentine's Day on February 14, the crowds at the major Yue Lao temples multiply several times over.