Xinsi Tai Sui General Zheng Dan

Xinsi Tai Sui General Zheng Dan is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who assumes duty during the Xinsi year (e.g., 2001, 2061), overseeing all human fortune and misfortune for that year. As the Snake is the zodiac sign associated with the Xinsi year, those born in the Year of the Snake enter their benming nian—their zodiacal birth year—and thus sit directly beneath the Tai Sui, while those born in the Year of the Pig experience the ‘clashing Tai Sui’ (chong tai sui). According to folk custom, both groups are advised to visit temples to install and venerate the Tai Sui image with sincere devotion, seeking the Tai Sui Star Lord’s protection and mitigation of adverse influences. The Tai Sui originated from ancient stellar calendrical systems centred on Jupiter (the ‘Year Star’, or Sui Xing); the saying ‘Dare not disturb the earth above the Tai Sui’ reflects the deep-rooted reverence for the Tai Sui as the supreme divine authority governing the year. Devotees commonly visit Daoist temples on the 8th day of the 1st lunar month to worship the Tai Sui, praying for disaster avoidance, longevity, and smooth passage through the year.