Heidi (god)

Heidi (Black Emperor) is a deity in Chinese religion, one of the five manifestations of Shangdi. He is associated with water and winter. His animal form is the Black Dragon and his stellar animal is the tortoise-snake.^[1]

Heidi
Diagram of the Wufang Shangdi
Major cult centre	Mount Heng
Predecessor	Baidi (Wuxing cycle)
Successor	Cangdi (Wuxing cycle)
Planet	Mercury

Temple of the Dark Ancestor (玄祖殿 Xuánzǔdiàn) in Yibin, Sichuan.

Chùa Ông Bắc (Temple of the North Deity) of the Hoa Chinese in Long Xuyên, An Giang Province in Vietnam.

Taoist myths involving the Black Emperor

A Taoist title of the Black Emperor is the "Dark (or Mysterious) Heavenly Highest Deity" (玄天上帝; Xuántiān Shàngdì). According to a myth, during the fall of the Shang the Demon King ravaged the world, so that Yuanshi Tianzun ordered the Jade Emperor to appoint Heidi as the commander of twelve heavenly legions to fight this evil. Heidi defeated the Demon King and was subsequently granted the title of Mysterious Heavenly Highest Deity. In temples dedicated to him, he has a bronze tortoise and serpent under his feet. This means that the good always prevails over evil.^[2]

Festivals

• The day for celebration of Heidi across China is his birthday on lunar April 21.
• A festival is held on the island of Taipa in Macau. The celebration at the Pak Tai Temple includes an opera-styled performance
• Annual Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong, held in front of the Pak Tai Temple.

References

1. Fowler, Jeaneane D. (2005). An introduction to the philosophy and religion of Taoism : pathways to immortality. Portland, Ore.: Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 1-84519-085-8. OCLC 57514728.
2. "Chinese Temples Committee website: Brief Description of Main Deities". Archived from the original on 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2022-08-01.

Other websites

• Media related to Pak Tai Temples at Wikimedia Commons