Tudi Gong

土地公

Gentle old guardian of a single patch of ground, close as a kindly grandfather

Tudi Gong (土地公), the Earth God, is the gentle old guardian of one particular place: a village lane, a field, a shop plot or a tomb. In common Taiwanese usage he is also Fude Zhengshen, the Upright God of Blessing and Virtue. Low in rank among the gods, he feels the closest, like a kindly grandfather. A well-known story names him Zhang Fude, an honest Zhou-dynasty tax official said to have lived to 102.

Devotees turn to him for the land, crops, livestock, household safety and local business luck, and they believe he watches over both the living and the dead. He is honoured across Taiwan, Fujian and Southeast Asia, as Bogong among Hakka communities and Tua Pek Kong among many Hokkien and Teochew communities. His shrine is traditionally a small stone or brick box at a lane end, under a tree or beside a field.

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土地公

No. 080

How to recognise Tudi Gong

White beard and kindly faceAn elderly man with white hair, a long fluffy white beard, a smiling face and a plump, grandfatherly build; this is the surest way to recognise him.
Soft round capA rounded cap, gold or black, in the manner of a minor official or scholar, as on the Qing-dynasty carved figure in the Royal Ontario Museum.
Belted robeA long, loose, belted robe in yellow or gold, sometimes red, marking him as an official of the heavens.
Walking staffA wooden staff, sometimes with a dragon head, read as the stick of an elder who patrols the fields and the village boundary.
Gold ingotA gold ingot (元寶, yuanbao) held in the other hand, a sign of the good fortune he brings.
Ruyi scepterSome images give him a jade ruyi scepter instead of the staff or the ingot, shifting the emphasis between field-watching and wealth.
Tudipo and HuyeHis wife Tudipo (土地婆), an old woman, sometimes sits beside him, though some communities leave her out; the tiger deity Huye (虎爺) is often found beneath the altar and has served as his mount.

Names and titles

Grandpa EarthTudi Ye, the affectionate name most people use when they speak to him
Upright God of Blessing and VirtueFude Zhengshen, his formal title on temple signboards
The Neighborhood WardenHe is described as the guardian responsible for one particular area, like a borough warden
The Honest Tax CollectorIn the popular origin story, Zhang Fude was a kind tax official of the Zhou dynasty who helped the poor
Thanks at the Harvest MoonAt Mid-Autumn, after the harvest, farmers traditionally gave thanks to the Earth God

Feast days

Tudi Gong's Birthday and Touya (First Ya, 頭牙)2nd day of the 2nd lunar month (next: 8 March 2027)

The day devotees keep as the Earth God's birthday. It is also touya, 'First Ya', the first of the year's offerings to him. People ask for protection, good fortune and prosperity in the year ahead.
How it's celebrated. Families, shops and temples offer incense, fruit, tea and food, and burn spirit money. Some communities add longevity noodles, longevity peaches or red turtle cakes. In Singapore, Punggol Tu Di Gong Temple invites worshippers to receive treasury red envelopes, and fa gao is a common offering. Rites differ from one temple and community to the next.
Sources: Singapore Punggol Tu Di Gong Temple: Tu Di Gong birthday · Tua Pek Kong Temple: Tudigong birthday · International LSM Taoist Cultural Collegium: 2nd day of the 2nd month
Mid-Autumn Thanksgiving15th day of the 8th lunar month (next: 14 September 2027)

Tudi Gong's autumn day, the counterpart of his spring celebration, on the same date as the Mid-Autumn Festival. Communities differ: some keep it as a second birthday, others as the day he attained the Way, which some render as ascension.
How it's celebrated. Sources describe it as a major day for honouring the Earth God, with farmers and fishermen traditionally welcoming it. It is counted as the autumn half of a spring-and-autumn pair of festivals. Little detail of the rites is recorded in English. Taiwanese sources describe offerings of incense and spirit money at his shrines.
Sources: Tua Pek Kong Temple: Tudigong birthday and autumn festival · Singapore Punggol Tu Di Gong Temple: Hall of Worship · Academia: Tudi Gong in Taiwan
Weiya (Last Ya, 尾牙)16th day of the 12th lunar month (next: 22 January 2027)

Weiya, 'Last Ya', is the final offering of the year to Tudi Gong, the Earth God. Devotees give thanks to him for the year's blessings, and it is especially associated with trade and livelihoods.
How it's celebrated. In Taiwan, people gather meat and fruit for offerings at Tudi Gong temples, often with candles and firecrackers, then share the food afterwards. Employers often hold banquets for their staff that day. In Singapore, Punggol Tu Di Gong Temple's Taoist priest chants blessings for devotees giving thanks. Some accounts say the day is kept differently in mainland China.
Sources: Wikipedia: Weiya · Wikipedia: Lunar New Year customs in Taiwan · Singapore Punggol Tu Di Gong Temple: Wei Ya