The origin of the worship of the Ch’eng-huang dates back to the time of the great Emperor Yao (2357 B.C.), who instituted a sacrifice called Pa Cha in honour of eight spirits, of whom the seventh, Shui Yung, had the meaning of, or corresponded to, the dyke and rampart known later as Ch’eng-huang.  Since the Sung dynasty sacrifices have been offered to the Ch’eng-huang all over the country, though now and then some towns have adopted another or special god as their Ch’eng-huang, such as Chou Hsin, adopted as the Ch’eng-huang of Hangchou, the capital of Chekiang Province.  Concerning Chou Hsin, who had a “face of ice and iron,” and was so much dreaded for his severity that old and young fled at his approach, it is related that once when he was trying a case a storm blew some leaves on to his table.  In spite of diligent search the tree to which this kind of leaf belonged could not be found anywhere in the neighbourhood, but was eventually discovered in a Buddhist temple a long way off.  The judge declared that the priests of this temple must be guilty of murder.  By his order the tree was felled, and in its trunk was found the body of a woman who had been assassinated, and the priests were convicted of the murder.

The Kitchen-god

Tsao Chuen is a Taoist invention, but is universally worshipped by all families in China—­about sixty millions of pictures of him are regularly worshipped twice a month—­at new and full moon.  “His temple is a little niche in the brick cooking-range; his palace is often filled with smoke; and his Majesty sells for one farthing.”  He is also called ‘the God of the Stove.’  The origin of his worship, according to the legend, is that a Taoist priest, Li Shao-chuen by name, of the Ch’i State, obtained from the Kitchen-god the double favour of exemption from growing old and of being able to live without eating.  He then went to the Emperor Hsiao Wu-ti (140-86 B.C.) of the Han dynasty, and promised that credulous monarch that he should benefit by the powers of the god provided that he would consent to patronize and encourage his religion.  It was by this means, he added, that the Emperor Huang Ti obtained his knowledge of alchemy, which enabled him to make gold.

The Emperor asked the priest to bring him his divine patron, and one night the image of Tsao Chuen appeared to him.

Deceived by this trick, dazzled by the ingots of gold which he too should obtain, and determined to risk everything for the pill of immortality which was among the benefits promised, the Emperor made a solemn sacrifice to the God of the Kitchen.

This was the first time that a sacrifice had been officially offered to this new deity.

Li Shao-chuen gradually lost the confidence of the Emperor and, at his wits’ end, conceived the plan of writing some phrases on a piece of silk and then causing them to be swallowed by an ox.  This done, he announced that a wonderful script would be found in the animal’s stomach.  The ox being killed, the script was found there as predicted, but Li’s unlucky star decreed that the Emperor should recognize his handwriting, and he was forthwith put to death.  Nevertheless, the worship of the Kitchen-god continued and increased, and exists in full vigour down to the present day.