Ao Bing () is a character in the classic Chinese novel ''

Investiture of the Gods ''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese titles () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major Written vernacular Chinese, vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Min ...

'' (''Fengshen Yanyi''). He is a dragon prince and the third son of Ao Guang, the

Dragon King The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in ...

of the East Sea. Ao Bing is a major antagonist in the Nezha story. He is often shown as arrogant, spoiled, and cruel, abusing his power as a dragon prince. The narrative typically involves Ao Bing and his father demanding tributes of young children for their underwater palace. The modern portrayal of Ao Bing as a compassionate friend to Nezha, even when he occasionally opposes him—especially in the hugely successful 2019 film '' Ne Zha'' and its sequel—represents a significant departure from his traditional depiction.

In ''Fengshen Yanyi''

The third son of Ao Guang, the

of the East Sea, Ao Bing lives in the Crystal Palace with his brothers, Ao Jia and Ao Yi. Both of them are older than him. Ao Bing was originally revered as a rain god who would bestow the rain at his command upon any individual in need, but, as time passed, his father became corrupt, and soon the people were living in fear of the stormy malevolence of Ao Guang and his three sons. After the divine child-hero

Nezha Nezha (, Nézhā) or sometimes Nezha the Crown Prince (, ), is a protection deity in Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religion. His official Taoism, Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prin ...

had slain the

yaksha The Yakshas (, , ) in Mythology are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Bud ...

Li Gen and been seen creating tremors that threatened to destroy the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, Ao Bing set out (with his father's consent) to confront Nezha, riding upon a great green beast and accompanied by his father's troops. Ao Bing duly confronted Nezha and met with a most uncouth reception, prompting him to bellow in rage "You self-righteous cur! Li Gen was sent to us by the

Jade Emperor In the Chinese mythology, myths and Chinese folk religion, folk religion of Chinese culture, the Jade Emperor or Yudi is one of the representations of the Primordial Divinity (Tai Di), primordial god. In Taoist theology, he is the assistant of ...

of Heaven himself and yet, in your madness and insolence, you killed him without remorse. Defend yourself, you dog!" Hero and dragon prince wasted no more breath in words, but flung themselves instead into furious combat, Ao Bing wielding his mighty silver spear and Nezha his death-dealing magic scarf. After the exchange of many bitter blows, Nezha was finally able to overcome his adversary by unleashing a blazing fireball at him from his magic scarf and then trampling his head underfoot before he could recover from the blow. In his death agony, Ao Bing was forced to reveal his true (dragon) form and he died burning inwardly with hatred for his youthful opponent. After the Shang dynasty's defeat, when

Jiang Ziya Jiang Ziya ( century BC – 11th century BC), also known by several other names, also known by his posthumous name as the Duke Tai of Qi, was the founding monarch of the Qi state. He was a military general and strategist who as ...

conferred god titles, he was appointed as the god of (華蓋星). He is one of the characters who have been sealed twice as a god in the Registry of Gods, followed by his subordinate, the yasha Li Gen.

Folklore

According to folklore, when Nezha caused havoc in the East Sea, he used the Universe Ring (Qiankun Quan) to kill the white dragon, Ao Bing. Later, the immortal Taiyi Zhenren revived the Ao Bing using tendon-relaxing vines and white pine bark. After coming back to life, the Ao Bing retreated underground, built another palace, and continued cultivating until he attained enlightenment and ascended to the heavens. This miraculous cave was left behind, and people named the White Dragon’s cultivation palace "White Dragon Palace." White Dragon Palace is now a tourist destination that combines mountains, water, and caves into a scenic attraction. It is located in

Hancheng Hancheng () is a city in Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China, about 125 miles northeast of Xi'an, at the point where the south-flowing Yellow River enters the Guanzhong Plain. It is a renowned historic city, containing numerous historic ...

, 18 kilometers west of

Jiangyou Jiangyou () is a Chinese county-level city located in Mianyang, Sichuan. The city proper is subdivided into four urban districts and has jurisdiction over 21 towns, and 19 rural townships. It is the hometown of Li Bai, a leading Tang dynasty p ...

. Its most distinctive features are its primitive, natural, and ancient charm. Stretching 1.2 kilometers in length, the cave is divided into both water and dry sections.

Worship

In Taoist traditions and folk beliefs, Ao Bing is worshiped as a folk deity and enshrined in some temples dedicated to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. The Sihai Longwang Temple in

Batu Pahat The Batu Pahat District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, south of Segamat and Tangkak District. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram. Geograph ...

enshrines a 12-foot-tall statue of Ao Bing.

In popular culture

* The character increased in popularity in 2019 with the stereoscopic, animated feature film, '' Ne Zha'', was more successful, setting numerous all-time records for

box-office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...

grosses, including third-highest-grossing of all films in China and highest-grossing animated film from outside the United States. * In the 2022 mobile game Dislyte, the character "Long Mian" is chosen as Ao Bing's "avatar", blessed with his powers.

References

* ''

'' Chapter 12 pages 141 - 143 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ao, Bing Investiture of the Gods characters Chinese dragons