Jinzha () is a figure in

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

, appearing in works such as ''

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 ...

''. A disciple of the superiorman

Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun () is a Taoist deity and character in the classic Chinese novel ''Investiture of the Gods'' (more commonly known as ''Fengshen Yanyi''). He is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun and one of the Three Great Immortals, holding the f ...

, he is the eldest brother of

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 ...

and Muzha.

Belief

According to the ', it is stated that Jinzha and Nezha are of the same type of Taoist protective deities and are among the subordinates of Wang Ye. Originally, Jinzha was one of the Five Great Wisdom Kings in

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

, also known as

Kuṇḍali Kundali (Sanskrit: ; IAST: ) or Amritakundalin (अमृतकुण्डलिन्, ), also known in Chinese as Juntuli Mingwang () and in Japanese as Gundari Myōō (軍荼利明王), is a wrathful deity and ''dharmapala'' (protector of ...

or sometimes as the Ganlu Mingwang (甘露明王), who was responsible for longevity, healing, purification, and exorcism. However, due to potential influences from folk literature, the name "軍吒" (Junzha or Junzhalili) was changed to "金吒" (Jinzha) to align with the character "木吒" (Muzha). In folk temple festivals, Jinzha is often referred to as the "Great Crown Prince of Tuotuo Tianwang" and is worshipped in temples along the southern coastal regions alongside his younger brothers, the Second Prince Muzha and the Third Prince Nezha. In the folklore of southern

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

Tong'an Tong'an District () is a northern mainland district of Xiamen which faces Quemoy County, Republic of China. To the north is Anxi and Nan'an, and to the south is Jimei. Tong'an is also east of Lianxiang and Changqin to the West. It covers

, and

Kinmen Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from wh ...

, Jinzha is often portrayed in white attire. In temples and shrines across the Fujian-Taiwan region, Jinzha is commonly depicted riding either a snow lion or a dragon horse. During traditional folk exorcism ceremonies, Jinzha is symbolized as a young man wearing a crown, while Muzha and Nezha have distinctive hairstyles – Muzha with a topknot and Nezha with three buns – distinguishing their respective ages. Jinzha is closely associated with military protection rituals and is revered as a god of war. In ancient legends, Jinzha wields various magical weapons, including the Ruyi Dragon Stake, swords, spears, lances, the Ganlu Treasure Vase, and a spiritual snake, among others.

Character biography

Jinzha was born to General Li Jing and Lady Yin. The eldest brother of Nezha and Muzha, Jinzha had been a disciple of

and

Yuanshi Tianzun Yuanshi Tianzun (), the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning or the Primeval Lord of Heaven, is one of the highest deities of Taoism. He is one of the Three Pure Ones () and is also known as the Jade Pure One (). He resides in the Gr ...

. He descended from the mountain to assist King Wu in overthrowing King Zhou of Shang. His character is characterized as calm and rational, and he displayed military tactics and strategic planning, likely inheriting the wisdom of his master, Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun. In the book, Jin Zha is described wearing a pale yellow Taoist robe. His magical weapon, the "Dunlong Zhuang" (遁龙桩), also known as the "Qibao Jinlian" (七宝金莲), originates from the image of Ganlu Mingwang holding a spiritual snake. The Dunlong Zhuang was crafted by Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and appears as a three to four-inch wooden stick with three iron rings when not in use. However, when deployed, it extends to over three zhang (approximately 9 meters) in height. The three iron rings transform into iron hoops that can be fastened around individuals, one around the neck, one around the waist, and the remaining one around the ankles, becoming tighter with movement. It has been used on Nezha, Wang Mo (the Four Saints Grand Marshal), and Qin Wan (Qin Tianjun) before being passed on to Jinzha. In the novel ''

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the ...

'', Jinzha served on Mount Ling as the chief guardian under the command of Tathagata Buddha. In the Qing dynasty ''Ché Wáng Fǔ'' (车王府) opera script ''Investiture of the Gods'' (封神榜), Jin Zha is described as having white teeth, red lips, and a handsome face.

References

Bibliography

* {{Fengshen Yanyi Chinese gods Investiture of the Gods characters Journey to the West characters Nezha