Zong Qui is a demon-slaying deity in Chinese folk legend. Since ancient times, Zong Qui's stories of casting out demons and demons have been known to many people, including spells, eight trigram formations to defeat demons, face reading, and hexagrams.
Zong Qui is described as a man wearing a red mandarin uniform, wearing a saffron hat, and holding a sword or fan. His appearance was full of murderous intent, looking very ferocious.
In worship activities, Eastern beliefs are often associated with gods or Buddha. Among them, Zong Qui statue is chosen by many people to display in their homes to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
Zong Qui lived during the Tang Dynasty, during the reign of King Minh Hoang. Having outstanding intelligence and extraordinary health, when it was time for his to compete, he was looked down upon by the traitor Lu Ky because Zong Qui had an ugly appearance. Because of these insults, he crashed his head into a pillar and died, shocking the whole world. Because of such a scandal, the Jade Emperor decided to preside over justice and appoint Zong Qui as a deity in charge of bringing down demons and eliminating demons in the human world. From such a legend, many families in Eastern countries, including Vietnam, often hang paintings or ceramic statues of Zong Qui in the house, with the hope of being able to exterminate demons and bring peace to the family.
Today, Zong Qui statue is depicted in the following images:
• Zong Qui holds a sword in her hand, symbolizing the smooth passage of fortune. Because Zong Qui is good at both Literature and Martial Arts, this image is displayed by many people who do business or want to be promoted and advantages for their career path.
• Zong Qui holds a seal in her hand, symbolizing the path of education and officialdom.
• Zong Qui holds a ghost hand to ward off evil and kill demons. This is also the type of image most people use.