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 The Door Gods
As the name signifies, door gods are Chinese
gods placed on each side of the entrance to a temple,
home, business, etc. These gods are believed to keep
evil spirits away. These gods are not only guarding the
gates of emperor Tang Taizong but also believed to be
guarding every Chinese home. They keep the evil spirits
away from entering the home. Even in India there are two
gigantic men guarding the gates of heaven where Vishnu,
the protector of universe resides. They are known as
Dwara and Palaka.
In China this
custom dates back to the Tang Dynasty, whose founder
Emperor Tang Taizong honored two of his most loyal
generals Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde guarding his palace
doors to keep evil spirits from disturbing him. Both the
door gods are huge in size and sport a moustache. While
one holds a sword in his hand the other holds a stick
and a deadly weapon. One is fair skinned and the other
is dark skinned. Emperors who followed Tang Taizong hung
their painted portraits on their front door. Ordinary
families soon adopted the imperial custom, putting
woodblock prints of the ever-vigilant generals on their
front gates in the hope of attracting good luck and
fending off evil spirits. The positioning of Door Gods
custom soon spread throughout China, adding other
folklore heroes and mythological figures to the
repertoire.
The door gods usually come in pairs, facing each other; it is
considered bad luck to place the figures back-to-back.
There are several different forms of door gods. The most
frequently used are Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde. Even
today many Hakka households stick the two door guards’
photo on their front door. Though it is a superstitious
belief there is evidence that the eyes of the door gods
can ward off negative thoughts and gives protection to
the house hold. They are always found in pairs and guard
each side of the front door.
These paintings or posters of door gods are today painted
with vibrant colors and made to look ferocious so that
the evil spirits or demons don’t enter the temple, or
home or office where they are positioned. The paintings
have a touch of Chinese theatre style and get enhanced
with time. There are inner door gods as well. While the
outer ones look ferocious the inner ones look calm and
provide a serene atmosphere to the place of dwelling.
The door gods are known for their trustworthiness, strength
and loyalty, bolstered by a fierce martial countenance
and impressive weaponry. Their posting at the most
vulnerable point of an otherwise solidly enclosed
courtyard situated them at the front line of defense in
the spiritual security of the home.
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