Jiachen Tai Sui General Li Cheng

Jiachen Tai Sui General Li Cheng is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who rotate annually in accordance with the sexagenary cycle; he assumes stewardship during Jiachen years—such as 2024 and 2084—and oversees human fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities for that year. The Jiachen year corresponds to the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac; folk belief holds that those born in the Year of the Dragon experience benming nian (natal year) during Jiachen, while those born in the Year of the Dog encounter chong tai sui (direct conflict with the Tai Sui). Both groups are traditionally advised to visit Daoist temples to perform the An Tai Sui (‘settling the Tai Sui’) or Bai Tai Sui (‘worshipping the Tai Sui’) rituals, offering reverent veneration to the Tai Sui Xingjun (Stellar Lord of the Year) to neutralise unfavourable influences. The Tai Sui cult originates in ancient stellar calendrics centred on the planet Jupiter (Sui Xing, or ‘Year Star’) and the taboo against disturbing earth where the invisible Tai Sui deity was believed to reside—hence the saying ‘disturbing earth above the Tai Sui’ (tai sui tou shang dong tu). It is believed that the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities take turns presiding over each year, observing human conduct and judging virtue and vice; thus, during years of tai sui conflict, devotees engage in sincere prayer and ritual observance to avert disaster, transform misfortune into blessing, and ensure peace, safety, and smooth progress throughout the year.