King Yama (Fifth Court)

Yanluo Wang originates from Yama, the Vedic god of death in Indian mythology, and entered the Chinese underworld cosmology through the eastward transmission of Buddhism, assuming his position as ruler of the Fifth Court while also overseeing all judicial dossiers across the Ten Courts. Legend holds that he was reassigned from the First Court to the Fifth Court after repeatedly allowing unjustly deceased souls to return to the mortal realm to clear their names—a gesture born of profound compassion. In popular belief, he is often conflated with the famed Song-dynasty upright official Bao Zheng, who, upon death, was said to have assumed this role in the afterlife; thus, his iconic iron-faced, incorruptible image became deeply embedded in folk consciousness. The proverb ‘If King Yama decrees your death at the third watch, who dares keep you alive until the fifth?’ vividly attests to his absolute authority. His birthday falls on the 8th day of the 1st lunar month, when devotees offer sacrifices and prayers urging moral conduct.