Door Gods

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Door gods are sentinels painted onto the doors of Chinese temples. They are regarded as divine guards whose job is to protect the temples and bar entry of demons and other evil spirits. The door gods of Penang temples are often exquisitely rendered, and in many recently restored temples, they look as good as new.

The custom of painting door gods dates to the Tang Dynasty, when the Emperor Tang Taizong (599-649 AD) honored his two loyal generals Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde by having their likeness painted on the door of his palace. It was said that the emperor was harassed by demon every night. So he stationed Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde at his door, to prevent demons from entering his bedchamber. Later, he learned that having the generals' portrait painted on the door had the same effect of frightening away the demons, so the generals were relieved of their night watch. This custom was soon adopted by ordinary citizens in Tang Dynasty China. In Penang however, one can only see it practised on the doors of Chinese temples (that is to say, Taoist temple).

The door gods are painted on one each door. They always face each other - the one on the left door faces right, and vice versa, never having their backs to each other. That way, they watch over whoever and whatever that pass through the doorway. Qin Shubao, also called Qin Qiong, has pale skin and usually carries swords. Yuchi Jingde, also called Yuchi Gong, has dark skin and usually carries batons.

Apart from Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde, another set of door gods are Shen Shu and Yu Lei. They were two brothers who lived in a peach forest. According to legend, there was a monster in the mountains. The monster believed that if it ate the peach, it would become a god. The monster was chased away by Shen Shu and Yu Lei. For that reason, for a time peach wood was used as the material for the doors of temples. This was eventually replaced by the image of door gods painted on the doors.

The door gods in the temples in Penang are exquisite. This is particularly so of the temples managed by the Hokkien Kongsi, such as the Tan Kongsi ancestral temple, the Snake Temple, and several others. On this page, we advise the artwork and craftsmanship of these door images.

Snake Temple Door Gods

The door gods of the Snake Temple were restored in 2008-2009 and were resplendent when I photographed them.

Click for list of Chinese Temples in Penang

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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.