The God Most Adored - the Jade Emperor

The Yuhuang Dadi (Jade Emperor) is not only one of the supreme gods adored by Taoism, but also the god who is best known and adored among folk people in China.

In China, it is well known that the Jade Emperor is the most powerful dominator. He lives in the welkin high above, where there are luxury palaces. He is in charge of all kinds of traditional gods belonging to Buddhism and Taoism.

The origin about him first came from the ancient people's adoration to the Lord of Heaven. In the Han Dynasty (25-220) when Taoism was just established, he was honored as a rather supreme god. Later, it was said he used to be a prince from a remote kingdom and cultivate himself according to a religious doctrine. By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Jade Emperor became the assured subject of worship. Afterwards, Taoism was respected in the Tang and Song dynasties and the story about the Jade Emperor was gradually enriched, which greatly influenced the life of common Chinese.

The statue of the Jade Emperor appears in every fane and is for people's apotheosis. There are halls built especially for him, which are called Yuhuang Temple, Yuhuang Fane, or Yuhuang Pavilion and so on. Taoism made his birthday on January 9 of the lunar calendar, when the grand ceremonies and contemplative activities would be held. Later, this belief of Han nationality spread to other nationalities, which made him the most respected god by Chinese people at last.