Kang Jinlong
Kang Jinlong is a star deity from traditional Chinese mythology and astrology. The star god is one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, specifically the second mansion of the Azure Dragon, known as Kang. In ancient Chinese cosmology, Kang Jinlong is associated with the Azure Dragon's neck and symbolizes the quintessence of the dragon. Over time, Kang Jinlong has also become a prominent cultural icon in religious art and modern media.
Kang Jinlong was sometimes regarded as a wind spirit and a dragon deity capable of flight and weather manipulation. Ancient Chinese sources describe him as the "essence of the dragon" and refer to his spiritual connection with water and thunder.
Astronomy
In Chinese astronomy, the Neck Mansion is located in the modern Western constellation of Virgo. The mansion itself is an asterism composed of four primary stars: Kappa Virginis, Iota Virginis, Phi Virginis, and Lambda Virginis. These stars form the "neck" of the great Azure Dragon. During the Qing dynasty, the asterism was expanded to include twelve additional stars.The Neck Mansion holds a significant position as the second station in the Azure Dragon's sequence, following the Horn Mansion and preceding the Root Mansion. Its appearance in the night sky was traditionally associated with agricultural activities and seasonal changes.
Form
Kang Jinlong's true form is that of a dragon and is a representation of the shape of the star mansion, a tradition originating from the ancient night sky. Kang Jinlong is associated with the element of metal, which is further subdivided into yin and yang. As a result, the deity has been depicted in both male and female forms, symbolizing the transformation of Kang Jinlong's yin and yang attributes across different spatial orientations and temporal contexts.Records
According to the Beidou Gu Fa Wuwei Jing, Volume 55 of the Wushang Huanglu Dazhai Licheng Yi, and Volume 3 of the Daomen Dingzhi, the Star Lord of the Kang Mansion governs strong winds in the human world. He is said to reside in the Kaihe Palace, located to the north of the Chen direction, where he is responsible for receiving those who attain the Dao and complete their path to immortality. He oversees the Gui–Mao pairing from above and is linked to the Gou hexagram, while from below, he is connected to the Jia–Chen pairing and corresponds to the Cui hexagram. Furthermore, within the Kang Constellation, there is said to be a celestial force of 90,000, composed of Spirit Officials, Divine Immortals, and celestial soldiers and horses under his command.According to the Yunji Qiqian, the celestial official Yi is a yin spirit under the authority of Lord Kang. There are four yin spirits, with the surname Fu and the given name Sima. They are described as having horse heads and bare red bodies, dressed in crimson silk garments, and armed with swords. All are under the command of the Lord Kang.
In Investiture of the Gods, Li Daotong, who died in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, was subsequently deified as the Kang Star.
A passage from the Daoist encyclopedia states:
There are two passages about Lord Kang in the Daoist text Dongshen Wuxing Zhuxiu Riyue Hunchang Jing, which state:
Appearance in ''Journey to the West''
Kang Jinlong appears twice in the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. In Chapter 65, Kang Jinlong is depicted as one of the celestial protectors dispatched by the Jade Emperor to rescue the protagonist, Sun Wukong, who is imprisoned inside magical Golden Cymbals wielded by the Yellow-Browed Demon at the Little Thunder Sound Temple. Kang Jinlong leads a contingent of star deities and heavenly generals, forming a celestial vanguard against the demon forces. To assist in the rescue, Kang Jinlong uses his divine dragon horn to discreetly bore a small hole in the cymbals without breaking them entirely, so as not to alert the demon. Sun Wukong then transforms into a tiny form and escapes through the hole.Kang Jinlong appears again in a later episode when Sun Wukong and his companions encounter a trio of formidable rhinoceros demons: the King of Cold Protection, the King of Heat Protection, and the King of Dust Protection. After repeated failed attempts to defeat them, Sun Wukong calls upon the assistance of celestial forces. Kang Jinlong, along with other stellar deities, descends to join the battle. In this episode, Kang Jinlong’s horn is described as possessing a special power capable of breaking the demons’ magical defenses.
Temple
One of the most notable representations of Kang Jinlong is found at the in Zezhou County, Shanxi Province, China. The temple, first constructed during the Northern Song dynasty in 1076, houses a collection of 28 clay sculptures representing the Twenty-Eight Mansions, created by Yuan dynasty artist Liu Yuan.The statue of Kang Jinlong stands approximately 1.92 meters tall and depicts the deity as a fierce, dynamic female figure with flowing garments and a commanding expression.