Nezha (Third Prince)

Nezha’s cult originated from the Buddhist guardian deity Nalakuvara, which entered China and merged with Daoism; later elaborated in the compendium ‘Compendium of Deities from the Three Teachings’ as a Great Luo Immortal serving under the Jade Emperor, incarnated as the Third Prince of the Li Jing household at Chentang Pass. Legend recounts that at age seven he stirred up the sea and slew the Dragon King’s son; subsequently, he severed his flesh to return to his mother and extracted his bones to return to his father; he was then resurrected through a lotus-body transformation. In the ‘Investiture of the Gods’, he served as vanguard commander under Jiang Ziya during the campaign against the Shang dynasty. Revered by folk tradition as the Marshal of the Central Altar, he commands the Five Camps’ Divine Troops; temples across Fujian and Taiwan enshrine these Five Camps, and grand ceremonies are held on his birthday—the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. Children suffering from frail health or chronic illness are often symbolically adopted as his godchildren to secure his protection.