Water Official

Shuiguan Dadi’s full title is 'Dongyin Dadi, the Water Official of the Third Rank Who Dispels Calamities at the Lower Yuan'. He is one of the Three Officials (Sanguan) in Daoism and governs the domain of waters, specifically charged with relieving all forms of human suffering and misfortune. His birthday is observed on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month—the Lower Yuan Festival—when Daoist temples hold solemn Lower Yuan rituals (zhāijiào), during which devotees observe fasting and offer prayers seeking Shuiguan Dadi’s intervention to dispel calamities and avert disasters. This festival marks the final observance among the Three Yuan festivals held annually in Daoism. Shuiguan Dadi’s veneration has also merged with the legendary tale of Yu the Great (Dayu), the mythic sage-king famed for taming floods; in certain regions, he is identified as the son of Jinling Shengmu or even directly equated with Yu the Great himself. In times past, when droughts and floods were frequent and unpredictable, people held Shuiguan Dadi—who governed rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans—in profound reverence. Individuals beset by misfortune or undertaking perilous waterborne journeys would fervently pray to him for protection and deliverance. Within the San Guan Hall, Shuiguan Dadi occupies the third and final position, depicted with a calm, grave, and dignified countenance.