Jinbao Tongzi

How to recognise Jinbao Tongzi

1. Two hair bunsHis hair is tied in two topknots, one on each side of the head (雙髻), which tells him apart from his twin Zhaocai, who is shown with a different arrangement.
2. Gold ingotHe holds a boat-shaped gold ingot (元寶) in both hands, ready to pass good fortune along; the Qing carving holds it slightly sideways with a small tray beneath.
3. Red robeHe wears a plain red robe or tunic, and surviving carved figures show simple cloth with natural folds and gilding.
4. Smiling, round-cheeked faceA gentle, fine-featured face with plump cheeks and sometimes dimples, calm in the Qing carving and round and cheerful in most modern statues.
5. Child's buildHe is a small child with a broad head, about four heads tall, showing his youth and good nature.
6. TreasuresSome temple statues show him with coral, a treasure bowl or other precious things, which stand for the wealth he hands on.
7. Twin companionZhaocai Tongzi usually stands opposite him, holding a ledger (招財簿) or old coins; a boy-and-girl (金童玉女) pairing is also known.
8. Place at the shrineHe usually flanks the Earth God or the God of Wealth; in Taiwanese door-god paintings the pair appear on the doors, one with a banana-leaf fan meaning 'to beckon' and one with an ingot.

Names and titles

• The Treasure-Bringing BoyThe meaning of his name, 進寶: he brings in treasure
• Little Helper of the Wealth GodHe is the Earth God's or Wealth God's attendant, helping hand out wealth
• The Twin Who Stayed in HeavenIn temple lore he is the twin who remained in heaven and sends down wealth when his brother Zhaocai signals
• Two Buns and a Dimpled SmileHis two topknots and cheek dimples as described on temple statues
• Gold Ingot in Both HandsHe holds the ingot (元寶) in both hands, sometimes on a tray

Feast days

• Birthday of Zhaocai and Jinbao Tongzi (招財進寶童子聖誕)20th day of the 1st lunar month (next: 25 February 2027)

  The day for Zhaocai and Jinbao, the paired boy-attendants of the Earth God and the God of Wealth, said in folk tradition to be twin brothers. Almanacs record it under Zhaocai's name, and devotees honour the two together.

  How it's celebrated. Devotees visit temples, especially in Taiwan, where the pair stand beside the Earth God and the God of Wealth. They offer sweets and biscuits to the boys, asking for restored fortune. Some almanac sites also list sweet cakes, oranges and pineapples, and paper offerings, following each temple's practice. Zhaocai is often shown holding a ledger and Jinbao holding gold ingots.

  Sources: UDN Orange: 招財童子誕辰供品 · Keelung Hihi: 招財進寶童子聖誕 · nml.tw: 招財童子聖誕

• Welcoming the God of Wealth (接財神)5th day of the 1st lunar month (next: 10 February 2027)

  A new-year observance, called 'breaking the fifth', in which households and businesses welcome the God of Wealth, whose birthday folk tradition places on this day. His two boy-attendants are honoured with him.

  How it's celebrated. Many welcome him around midnight or at dawn, opening doors, burning incense, setting off firecrackers and offering fish and fruit. Shops often reopen that day, sometimes with lion dances. In the south and overseas the welcome is central, while northern households also stress sending off poverty and eating dumplings. A Beijing rhyme places the wealth boys on either side of the seated God.

  Sources: Wikipedia: Caishen · Baiduwiki: The Fifth Day of the First Lunar Month · Baidu Baike: 接财神