Local Numen - Gnome

Gnome is also one of the best-known gods in Taoist fairy tales. As local numens, though they have no high position, they are the commonest worshiped gods. The fanes built for them used to be everywhere.

Gnomes usually appear as an old couple, the male one is called Gnome Grandpa, and the female one is called Gnome Grandma. The adoration to the gnomes actually came from the ancient adoration to the soil. Afterwards, this natural adoration began to turn anthropomorphized, and some real characters started to play these roles, and were called Gnomes.

There are countless gnomes in China, so that few have their names known. The fanes built for them are often very small, which are called Village God Temple, in which an old couple is enshrined. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the worship for them became thriving and was introduced to other nationalities.

In China, there were grand festival gatherings per year in the past to fete this god. Subsequently, these gatherings, which evolved into the most typical phenomenon -- temple fair, form a tradition.