No. 012Chinese Folk Religion & Taoism

Caishen

財神

The smiling court official who brings honest prosperity to home and shop

Caishen (財神), the God of Wealth, is not one figure but a family of them: civil gods such as Bi Gan and Fan Li, and martial gods led by Zhao Gongming with his Five Roads assistants, shaped largely by the Ming novel Investiture of the Gods. Here he appears as the civil god, a smiling court official in robes holding a gold ingot, who stands for wealth earned honestly.

Devotees turn to him for prosperity and good fortune in business. At the start of each lunar year he is welcomed into homes and shops. On the fifth day families light incense and set out fish, fruit and ingot-shaped dumplings to invite him in. The legend of Bi Gan says he has no heart, so he cannot play favourites when he shares fortune. Caishen is widely honoured in Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora.

Shop CaishenSee the gallery
Caishen

How to recognise Caishen

  1. Court robesHe wears an official's court robes, showing that he is a civil minister rather than a warrior.
  2. Black gauze hat (烏紗帽)Look for the official's black gauze hat, with a round two-tier top and a flat wing sticking out on each side, the mark of rank and office.
  3. Kindly face and long beardHis face is smiling, kind and well-fed, framed by a long beard, which shows generosity and contentment; the elder form, 財帛星君, is shown with a white beard.
  4. Gold ingot (元寶)He holds a boat-shaped gold piece with a raised, rounded centre, the classic sign of prosperity.
  5. Ruyi sceptre (如意)He may carry a sceptre with a curved handle and a cloud-shaped head, a symbol of things going as one wishes.
  6. Treasure bowl (聚寶盆)A treasure bowl is a common alternative to the ingot, and stands for riches gathered in.
  7. Scroll or bannerHe often unrolls a scroll or banner bearing a blessing such as 招財進寶, which wishes for wealth and treasure to arrive.

Names and titles

  • God of WealthThe meaning of Caishen, honored for prosperity in homes and shops
  • Welcoming the God of WealthJie Caishen: families invite him in on the fifth day of the lunar New Year (Po Wu)
  • The Civil God of WealthWen Caishen, the court-official form standing for honest, rightful wealth
  • Inviting Wealth and TreasureZhao cai jin bao, the blessing that comes from his imagery
  • The Impartial HeartBi Gan, 'without a heart', shares fortune without playing favorites

Feast days

  • Welcoming the God of Wealth (接財神)5th day of the 1st lunar month (next: 11 February 2027)
  • Birthday of Zhao Gongming (五路武財神聖誕)15th day of the 3rd lunar month (next: 21 April 2027)

Caishen in the shop

See all 10 Caishen designs

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Caishen
  2. Chinese Wikipedia: 財神
  3. Chinese Wikipedia: 文財神
  4. Wikipedia: Zhao Gongming
  5. Wikipedia: Bi Gan
  6. Chinese Wikipedia: 北港武德宮
  7. Beigang Wude Temple: official website
  8. Yahoo Auction Taiwan: Q版財神 search listings
  9. Metropolitan Museum of Art: collection object 49892
  10. Metropolitan Museum of Art: collection object 63883
  11. Chinese Wikipedia: 烏紗帽
  12. Chinese Wikipedia: 財帛星君
  13. Keith G. Stevens: Chinese Gods: The Unseen World of Spirits and Demons (Collins & Brown, 1997)

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