Chinese Mythology: Door Gods

Preface: The Men Shen is a deity that guards the door in Chinese folk beliefs. It is a popular guardian deity in Chinese Han folklore, and is affixed to the door during the Chinese Lunar New Year to ward off evil spirits, protect the family home, ensure peace and prosperity, and bring good luck. With the change of time, there are many figures who have been given the Men Shen, among which the more famous ones are Shen Tu, Yu Lei, Yu Chi Gong and Qin Qiong.

汉Hàn族zú民mín间jiān一yī直zhí信xìn仰yǎng门mén神shén 。
The Han Chinese people have always believed in Men Shen (the door gods).

从Cóng先xiān秦qín时shí期qī开kāi始shǐ ， 无wú论lùn是shì天tiān子zǐ还hái是shì平píng民mín ， 都dōu崇chóng拜bài门mén神shén 。
From the pre-Qin period onwards, both emperors and commoners worshipped Men Shen.

门Mén神shén最zuì初chū是shì指zhǐ “ 守shǒu护hù门mén户hù的de神shén灵líng ”。
The original meaning of Men Shen was “gods who guard the doorway.”

这Zhè个gè信xìn仰yǎng来lái源yuán于yú上shàng古gǔ时shí期qī的de自zì然rán崇chóng拜bài 。
This belief originated from nature worship in ancient times.

那Nà时shí的de人rén们men认rèn为wéi家jiā里lǐ的de门mén 、 灶zào 、 床chuáng等děng都dōu有yǒu神shén灵líng守shǒu护hù 。
People at that time believed that household items like doors, stoves, and beds were guarded by gods.

中Zhōng国guó人rén过guò年nián时shí在zài家jiā门mén上shàng贴tiē门mén神shén的de习xí俗sú已yǐ经jīng有yǒu几jǐ千qiān年nián历lì史shǐ了le 。
The Chinese custom of pasting Men Shen on doors during the Spring Festival has a history of thousands of years.

最Zuì早zǎo的de门mén神shén是shì用yòng桃táo木mù雕diāo刻kè的de立lì体tǐ人rén形xíng 。
The earliest Men Shen were three-dimensional human figures carved from peach wood.

这Zhè样yàng的de门mén神shén可kě以yǐ震zhèn慑shè鬼guǐ神shén 。
Such Men Shen could intimidate ghosts and spirits.

桃Táo木mù本běn身shēn被bèi认rèn为wéi可kě以yǐ驱qū邪xié 。
Peach wood itself was believed to ward off evil spirits.

后Hòu来lái门mén神shén变biàn成chéng了le门mén神shén画huà 。
Later, door gods evolved into Men Shen paintings.

贴Tiē门mén神shén时shí应yīng该gāi以yǐ进jìn门mén者zhě的de视shì角jiǎo贴tiē在zài门mén两liǎng侧cè 。
When pasting Men Shen, they should be placed on both sides of the door from the perspective of someone entering.

门Mén神shén面miàn对duì面miàn相xiāng视shì是shì传chuán统tǒng的de正zhèng确què贴tiē法fǎ 。
The traditional correct way to paste them is with the Men Shen facing each other.

神Shén荼tú和hé郁yù垒lěi是shì民mín间jiān流liú传chuán最zuì广guǎng的de门mén神shén 。
Shen Tu and Yu Lei are the most widely circulated Men Shen in folklore.

他Tā们men的de故gù事shì从cóng先xiān秦qín时shí期qī的de 《 山shān海hǎi经jīng 》 中zhōng就jiù有yǒu记jì载zǎi 。
Their stories have been recorded since the “Shan Hai Jing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas) in the pre-Qin period.

传Chuán说shuō神shén荼tú和hé郁yù垒lěi是shì兄xiōng弟dì ， 擅shàn长cháng捉zhuō鬼guǐ 。
Legend has it that Shen Tu and Yu Lei are brothers skilled at capturing ghosts.

恶È鬼guǐ骚sāo扰rǎo百bǎi姓xìng时shí ， 兄xiōng弟dì俩liǎ就jiù去qù捉zhuō鬼guǐ并bìng用yòng桃táo木mù枝zhī绑bǎng起qǐ来lái喂wèi老lǎo虎hǔ 。
When evil ghosts harassed civilians, the brothers would capture them and feed them to tigers tied with peach branches.

后Hòu来lái人rén们men画huà神shén荼tú 、 郁yù垒lěi和hé老lǎo虎hǔ的de像xiàng贴tiē在zài门mén上shàng驱qū鬼guǐ辟bì邪xié 。
Later, people pasted images of Shen Tu, Yu Lei, and tigers on their doors to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.

神Shén荼tú是shì左zuǒ门mén神shén将jiāng军jūn ， 形xíng象xiàng威wēi猛měng 。
Shen Tu is the general of the left door god, with a fierce appearance.

神Shén荼tú和hé郁yù垒lěi还hái是shì五wǔ方fāng鬼guǐ帝dì中zhōng的de东dōng方fāng鬼guǐ帝dì ， 管guǎn理lǐ桃táo止zhǐ山shān和hé鬼guǐ门mén关guān 。
Shen Tu and Yu Lei are also the Dong Fang Gui Di (the Eastern Emperors) of the Wu Fang Gui Di (the Five Emperors of Hell), overseeing Taozhi Mountain and the Gui Men Guan (the Gate of Hell).

秦Qín琼qióng和hé尉yù迟chí恭gōng能néng变biàn成chéng门mén神shén ， 多duō亏kuī了le 《 西xī游yóu记jì 》 和hé 《 隋suí唐táng演yǎn义yì 》 这zhè两liǎng部bù小xiǎo说shuō 。
The transformation of Qin Qiong and Yu Chi Gong into Men Shen is largely thanks to the novels “Journey to the West” and “Romance of the Sui and Tang dynasties”.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!