Chinese Mythology Trivia

1. Which four Gods are responsible for guarding the poles of Heaven so that they would not collapse?

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Powerful Warrior Guards

Known as 'Jin Gang Li Shi' in Mandarin, these four Gods were '30 zhang (an ancient Chinese measurement; 1 zhang = 3.58m) tall, ferocious-looking and very powerful'. According to legend, there was a time when half of heaven suddenly collapsed and the earth cracked making it hard for people to survive. The Goddess, Nu Wa, melted some multi-coloured stones, patched and blocked up the cracks. She then slew a giant turtle and set its four feet up as pillars to support the four corners of heaven. These were the Four Poles. To prevent the Four Poles from collapsing, the Heavenly Emperor sent the Powerful Warriors to guard it.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Pan Gu

Pan Gu separated the earth from the sky as he emerged from the egg.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: The Kitchen God

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the Kitchen God would present his annual report on the behaviour of all in the household to the heavenly Jade Emperor. To ensure that the report will be favourable, householders would clean the god's shrine in the kitchen thoroughly and bribe him by smearing honey in his mouth so that sweet and flattering words would be said about them. A good report would bring good fortune and luck. A bad report is avoided by dipping the god's portrait in wine to get him drunk or feeding him a sticky confection to prevent him talking or both. The Jade Emperor would then grant rewards or punishments to the household accordingly.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Sun Wukong

The 'Journey to the West' is alternately known as 'Monkey'...check out the English translation by Arthur Waley!

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Guan Di

Guan Di, ne Guan Yu, was one of the most well known military generals in Chinese history. He served under Liu Bei (first emperor of the Shu Kingdom)during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was captured and executed by the ruler of the Wu Kingdom in 220 CE. He was made the God of War sometime during the Ming Dynasty and is described in folklore as being 'nine feet tall, dressed in green, [with] a ruddy face, [the] eyes of a phoenix and bushy eyebrows'.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Lei Gong

Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, a filial son was struck by thunder whilst killing a chicken for his mother. On his arrival in Heaven, the Jade Emperor conferred on him the title God of Thunder. The God of Thunder was originally depicted as having the face of a monkey with a long and pointed jaw and eagle-like claws for feet. Later generations changed his appearance to one with a head of a monster, mouth like a chicken's beak and a pair of wings on his shoulders. He wields a dagger in the left hand and a hammer in the right ready to beat the drums, the sound of thunder.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Hell

In Chinese myth there are 18 levels of hell...double that of Dante!

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Dawn, childbirth and destiny

As the Goddess of Dawn, Bixia Yuanjin welcomes each new day from her home in the clouds. She is present during the birth of children in order to fix their destiny and also to bring blessings and good fortune.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Shan Dian Niang Niang

This Goddess is gorgeously dressed in a perfumed coat, red skirt and white trousers. She holds in each hand a mirror from which two flashes of light proceed. Zhao Jun is a legendary Chinese heroine. Wang Mu Niang Niang is the consort of the Jade Emperor.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Peach

Peaches are an ever-present symbol in Chinese literature. For example, the aforementioned Monkey King stole some peaches from the heavenly garden in the 'Journey to the West' only to be captured finally by the Buddha.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Kunlun Mountains

There is much debate as to whether the Kunlun Mountains mentioned in legends refers to the Kunlun Mountain of the Tibetan Plateau or to the Hindu Kush.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Fu Xi

Fu Xi was a mythical ancient emperor of China...he invented many other things according to Chinese myth.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Zhi Nu

Zhi Nu is responsible for weaving all the beautiful clothes worn by the other deities.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Heavenly Deaf and Earthly Dumb

Wen Chang is usually depicted sitting down, dressed in the robes of a Mandarin and holding a sceptre, the 'ruyi' (wish fulfilling). Tian Long (Heavenly Deaf) and Di Ya (Earthly Dumb) are so called because they cannot reveal the secrets of how Wen Chang distributes the intellectual gifts, literary skills, ranks and titles of scholars on earth etc.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Zhang O

Her lover was the ancient Chinese hero Yi, who was devastated by her transformation. Chang Er is another way of writing her name in the Roman alphabet.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: He Xian Gu

It was said that He Xian Gu or Lady He was born with six radiant golden hairs on her head. One legend has it that when she was a child, she met a stranger who gave her a peach. After eating it, she never felt hunger again and was also able to tell people's fortune. Another legend told of how when she was 14 years of age, she dreamed of a deity who taught her how to grind the 'mother of clouds' stone into powder and eat it so that she could be light and become an immortal.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: King Yama

Some legends put the number of levels of hell as eight. Each level of hell corresponds to a different type of punishment for different crimes. For example, 'The Pounding Hell' is for murderers who are pounded for punishment or 'The Oil Cauldron Hell' where rapists, sexual offenders and adulterers are fried in oil.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Nu Wa

She was said to be the creator of the first humans.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Shen Nong

The name Shen Nong means 'Divine Farmer'. He is also called 'Yan Di' and 'Wu Gu Xian Di' (Emperor of the Five Grains). He is believed to have lived some 5 000 years ago and taught people how to cultivate grains so as to avoid killing animals unnecessarily. He is also credited with introducing the use of herbs as medicine, personally tasting hundreds of them to determine their medicinal value. His book the "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic) is considered to be the earliest book dealing with Chinese pharmacopoiea. He is the patron of pharmacists.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: The Eight Immortals

Of the Eight Immortals, Lu Yong, Zhong Li Quan and Zhang Guotao were real historical people. As they were venerated by the people and the emperor, they were made immortal deities upon their death. The others are to be found in fables and romances. As for the Sages of the Bamboo Grove, there are seven of them and there are three Heavenly Officials. Every administrative region, town or large village which are surrounded by walls are protected by the Gods of Walls and Ditches. Hence their Chinese name Cheng Huang. They are usually deified human beings who in their lifetime have provided protection and service to others.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Wealth

Cai Shen's name means literally 'wealth god'! He is still an important god and his birthday is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid

In this legend, a cowherd, Niu Lang, fell in love and married the youngest of seven fairy sisters, Zhi Nu. But the Goddess of Heaven, Wang Mu Niang Niang, found out and had Zhi Nu forcibly brought back to Heaven. A devastated Niu Lang was advised by his talking cow to kill itself and put on its hide so that Niu Lang could get to Heaven to rescue his wife. When Wang Mu Niang Niang discovered Niu Lang's intention, she used her silver hairpin to scratch a river in the sky (The Milky Way) to separate the lovers forever. The lovers eventually became the stars Altair (Niu Lang) and Vega (Zhi Nu). However, once a year on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month, all the magpies would take pity on the couple. They would fly up to Heaven to form a bridge across the river so that the two lovers could be together just for that one night.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Peach

He is easily recognisable as an old man with pure white eyebrows, long flowing white beard and by his enormous, high domed bald head. He also carries a multi-jointed, long walking stick. He is often accompanied by a stork and a turtle, both also symbols of immortality, as these creatures were supposed to live long lives.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Huang Di

Huang Di is another of the ancient mythical emperors of Chinese history. Confucius looked to him, among others, as an ideal ruler.

From Quiz More Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: He Bo

He is also known as 'Feng Yi' or 'Bing Yi'. He was appointed to guard the area around the Yellow River and also to control the flooding. He spots a red moustache, dresses all in white and wears a black crown. He rode a white horse and has twelve boy attendants. The quotations and information in this quiz come from: "100 Chinese Gods" by Lu Yanguang "Chinese Beliefs and Superstitions" by Evelyn Yip "Fun with Chinese Festivals" by Tan Huay Peng "Origins of Chinese People and Customs" by Li Xiaoxiang "Origins of Chinese Festivals by Wu Peiqi "Gateway to Chinese Culture", an Asiapac Publication

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Fu Xing

In Chinese households, the word 'Fu' (happiness or luck) would be written in bold calligraphy and hung upside down as the Chinese word for 'upside down' and 'arrive' are homophones. Hence 'luck/happiness upside down' sounds like 'luck/happiness is arriving'. In Chinese, 'bat' and 'happiness' are homophones and that is why bats are deemed good luck creatures in Chinese culture. Huli is a fox. Ma Gu is a female immortal with eternal youth. Long Wang is the Dragon King.

From Quiz Chinese Mythology

Answer: Guan Yin

Guan Yin is also a healer of the sick and a patron of farmers, travellers, seafarers, etc.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Madam White Snake

This story originated during the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD) and is set during the Southern Song Dynasty (420 AD - 479 AD). It is also known as 'The Legend of the White Snake' and is a very popular theme in the history of Chinese operas.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: Hou Tu Niang Niang

Hou Tu initially started out as a male deity but somehow during the 14th century he became a she. According to one legend, an official of Guangling Prefecture suffered a serious disease. As a last resort, his family went to the Hou Tu temple to pray for him. That night, the official had a dream whereby a woman wearing pearl earrings and shoes and dressed in a dress of shells and jade gave him a prescription to cure his disease. Upon waking up, he decocted the medicine as instructed and recovered soon after. Thus the statues of Hou Tu were moulded into the image of a woman and worshipped as Hou Tu Niang Niang.

From Quiz Chinese Myths and Legends

Answer: The ox-headed and horse-faced goalers

As the name suggest, the ox-headed goaler had an ox head and a man's body and he carries a trident. The other goaler was also human in form but had the face of a horse and he carried with him a spear. They perform their duties together and are like brothers. Since they are the guardians of hell, they are the first beings that the dead souls meet when they arrive in hell.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:52 AM

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