Folk deities include the goddess of the sea (Mazu 妈祖 ... and local deities outside of the Buddhist or Taoist pantheons. Gods can also be the spirits of human heroes. For instance, Lord Guan (Guan Gong ...

(Temple of Fine Arts pic) In Taoism, it is believed the nine emperor gods are the sons of Dou Mou, goddess of the North Star and yielder of the Registrar of Life and Death. They oversee the ...