Jintong () is a

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

deity in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with his female counterpart

Yunü Yunü ( zh, c= 玉女, p=Yùnǚ, l=Jade Girl, Jade Maiden) is a Daoist deity or goddess in Chinese mythology and Chinese traditional religion who, along with her male counterpart Jintong (mythology), Jintong "Golden Boy", are favored servants of t ...

(Jade Girl), are favored servants of 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 ...

and Zhenwudadi. They are also believed to serve as guides in the underworld and the protectors of houses and temples. Some of the Golden Boy and Jade Girl pair could be found on some graves at Bukit Brown Cemetery as they are believed to serve as guides in the Spirit World or the Underworld. This couple helps virtuous souls over a golden bridge to paradise, and helps souls whose good deeds outweighed the bad, over a silver bridge to paradise. Therefore, by erecting the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden by the grave of the deceased, living family members hope that the deceased will not venture into the courts of hell but instead lead their afterlife in paradise.

Legends

Golden Boy and Jade Girl have appeared in several stories since the

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

and Yuan dynasties and have become important figures in Chinese mythology. Specific examples are the southern opera version of the legend, ''Jintong and Yunü'', and Yuan dynasty writer Jia Zhongming's

zaju ''Zaju'' was a form of Chinese opera which provided entertainment through a synthesis of recitations of prose and poetry, dance, singing, and mime, with a certain emphasis on comedy (or, happy endings). Although with diverse and earlier roots, ''z ...

by the same name. In the '' Avatamsaka Sutra'', he and Yunü seek enlightenment and are acolytes of

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian ...

. In this context, Yunü is called

Longnü Longnü (; Sanskrit: ''nāgakanyā''; Vietnamese: ''Long nữ''), translated as ''Dragon Girl'', along with Sudhana are considered acolytes of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) in Chinese Buddhism. Her presence in Guanyin's iconograph ...

and Jintong is called Shancai Tongzi. Some folktales say that

Xue Dingshan Xue () is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 薛 (Xuē). It is romanized as Hsüeh in Wade-Giles. In Hong Kong and Macau it is usually romanized through its Cantonese pronunciation Sit. In Korean, it corresponds to Seol (설), in Jap ...

and Fan Lihua were originally the Golden Boy and Jade Girl. The

was furious with them and wanted to punish them for breaking the celestial utensils. Fortunately, the

Old Man of the South Pole The Old Man of the South Pole ( Chinese & ), also called the Old Immortal of the South Pole (), Xian of Longevity (), or Star of Longevity (), is the Taoist deification of Canopus, the brightest star of the constellation Carina. He is typically ...

begged for their mercy and was demoted to the mortal world. In the ''Hanyi ji'' play, the protagonists Qi Liang and Meng Jiang are reincarnations of Jintong and Yunü. In most popular versions of '' The Butterfly Lovers'', the protagonists Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are human reincarnations of Jintong and Yunü who are expelled from Heaven Court by Guanyin or the Jade Emperor for their sin and forced to live as a thwarted couple for three or seven generations before being reunited and restored to their original status.

In popular culture

* Literary works often refer to attractive and well-matched couples as a Jintong and Yunü. * During the Spring Festival, pictures featuring Yunü and Jintong can be found on the doors of many households.

References

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Sources

*Li Jianping 李劍平, ed. (1998). Zhongguo shenhua renwu cidian 中國神話人物辞典 (Xi'an : Shanxi renmin chubanshe), 144. Chinese gods Taoist deities