Wuwu Tai Sui General Li Qing

Wuwu Tai Sui General Li Qing is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who rotate annually in accordance with the sexagenary cycle; he assumes office during Wuwu years—such as 2038 and 2098—and governs human fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities for that year. The Wuwu year corresponds to the zodiac sign of the Horse; folk tradition holds that individuals born in the Year of the Horse experience benming nian (their zodiac birth year) during Wuwu years, while those born in the Year of the Rat encounter chong tai sui (a direct clash with the Tai Sui). Both groups are advised to visit Daoist temples to perform the An Tai Sui (‘Stabilising the Tai Sui’) and Bai Tai Sui (‘Worshipping the Tai Sui’) rituals, offering reverent homage to the Tai Sui Star Lord to mitigate unfavourable influences throughout the year. The Tai Sui cult originates in ancient Chinese stellar chronology centred on the planet Jupiter (Jiuxing, or ‘Year Star’), and from the taboo phrase ‘moving earth above the Tai Sui’—referring to construction activities conducted in directions deemed astrologically hostile. It is believed that sixty Tai Sui deities, each corresponding to one of the Sixty Jiazi combinations, take turns overseeing earthly affairs year by year, observing human conduct and judging virtue and vice; thus, during years when one’s zodiac sign clashes with the reigning Tai Sui, devotees engage in sincere prayer and ritual observance to avert disaster, transform misfortune into blessing, and ensure safety, harmony, and smooth progress.