Chinese Mythology: Hou Tu Niang Niang

Preface: Hou Tu (后土), the central god in ancient Chinese mythology who aided Zhong Yang Tian Di (the central heavenly emperor) Huang Di (黃帝), is one of the honored deities in Taoist mythology. She is also the King of You Ming, the lord of the Underworld.

古Gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu个gè传chuán说shuō ， 后hòu土tǔ是shì炎yán帝dì一yī族zú的de血xuè脉mài 。
In ancient times, there was a legend that Hou Tu was a descendant of the Yan Di’s family.

她Tā是shì水shuǐ神shén共gòng工gōng所suǒ生shēng的de孩hái子zi 。
She was the child born to the water god Gong Gong.

早Zǎo期qī ， 后hòu土tǔ没méi有yǒu固gù定dìng的de性xìng别bié形xíng象xiàng 。
In early times, Hou Tu did not have a fixed gender image.

但Dàn汉hàn代dài时shí ， 人rén们men开kāi始shǐ把bǎ她tā当dàng作zuò女nǚ神shén来lái崇chóng拜bài ， 尊zūn称chēng为wéi “ 后hòu土tǔ娘niáng娘niáng ”。
But during the Han Dynasty, people began to worship her as a goddess and respectfully called her “Hou Tu Niang Niang”.

到Dào了le宋sòng代dài ， 道dào教jiào将jiāng后hòu土tǔ列liè为wéi至zhì高gāo无wú上shàng的de神shén祇qí之zhī一yī 。
By the Song Dynasty, Taoism listed Hou Tu as one of the supreme deities.

在Zài道dào教jiào “ 四sì御yù ” 中zhōng ， 后hòu土tǔ位wèi居jū第dì四sì ， 掌zhǎng管guǎn天tiān地dì间jiān的de阴yīn阳yáng调tiáo和hé 、 万wàn物wù之zhī美měi ， 以yǐ及jí大dà地dì的de壮zhuàng丽lì景jǐng色sè 。
Among the “Si Yu”(the Four Emperors) in Taoism, Hou Tu ranks fourth, governing the harmony between yin and yang, the beauty of all things, and the magnificent scenery of the earth.

人Rén们men亲qīn切qiè地de称chēng她tā为wéi “ 大dà地dì母mǔ亲qīn ” 或huò “ 地dì母mǔ ”。
People affectionately call her the “Di Mu Niang Niang” or “Di Mu”, the Mother of the Earth.

她Tā与yǔ天tiān上shàng的de玉yù皇huáng大dà帝dì相xiāng互hù对duì应yìng ， 共gòng同tóng守shǒu护hù着zhe天tiān地dì 。
She corresponds with Yu Huang Da Di (the Jade Emperor) in the heavens, jointly guarding the heavens and the earth.

中Zhōng国guó古gǔ代dài常cháng说shuō “ 皇huáng天tiān后hòu土tǔ ”， 足zú以yǐ看kàn出chū后hòu土tǔ神shén的de尊zūn贵guì地dì位wèi 。
The ancient Chinese often said “Huang Tian Hou Tu”, which shows the noble status of the Hou Tu god.

在Zài民mín间jiān ， 后hòu土tǔ神shén是shì大dà家jiā非fēi常cháng熟shú悉xī的de神shén灵líng 。
Among the people, the Hou Tu god is a very familiar deity.

她Tā就jiù是shì大dà家jiā口kǒu中zhōng的de “ 地dì母mǔ娘niáng娘niáng ”。
She is the “Di Mu Niang Niang” that everyone knows.

后Hòu土tǔ神shén的de信xìn仰yǎng源yuán自zì古gǔ人rén对duì土tǔ地dì的de敬jìng畏wèi 。
The belief in the Hou Tu god originates from the ancients’ awe of the land.

这Zhè是shì农nóng耕gēng社shè会huì的de一yī种zhǒng基jī本běn信xìn仰yǎng 。
This is a basic belief in agricultural society.

后Hòu土tǔ神shén的de形xíng象xiàng总zǒng是shì与yǔ农nóng业yè和hé生shēng育yù紧jǐn密mì相xiāng连lián 。
The image of the Hou Tu god is always closely linked to agriculture and fertility.

她Tā是shì农nóng耕gēng文wén明míng中zhōng的de女nǚ神shén象xiàng征zhēng 。
She is the symbolic goddess in agricultural civilization.

后Hòu土tǔ代dài表biǎo着zhe大dà地dì的de丰fēng饶ráo和hé农nóng作zuò物wù的de丰fēng收shōu 。
Hou Tu represents the fertility of the earth and the harvest of crops.

同Tóng时shí ， 她tā也yě象xiàng征zhēng着zhe女nǚ性xìng的de生shēng育yù力lì量liàng ， 被bèi视shì为wéi生shēng育yù的de庇bì护hù者zhě 。
At the same time, she also symbolizes women’s fertility power and is regarded as the protector of fertility.

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!