Heidi (god)


Hēidì or Hēishén, who is the Běidì or Běiyuèdàdì, is a deity in Chinese religion, one of the cosmological "Five Forms of the Highest Deity". He is also identified as Zhuānxū, today frequently worshipped as Xuánwǔ or Zhēnwǔ, and is associated with the essence of water and winter. His animal form is the Black Dragon and his stellar animal is the tortoise-snake. By virtue of his association with the north, he has been identified and revered frequently as a representation of the supreme God of Heaven.
His planet is Mercury. His animal form is the Black Dragon and his stellar animal is the tortoise-snake.

Taoist myths involving the Black Deity

A Taoist title of Heidi is the "Dark Heavenly Highest Deity". According to a myth, during the fall of the Shang, the Demon King ravaged the world, so that Yuanshi Tianzun ordered the Jade Emperor to appoint Heidi as the commander of twelve heavenly legions to fight this evil. Heidi defeated the Demon King and was subsequently granted the title of Mysterious Heavenly Highest Deity. In temples dedicated to him, the bronze tortoise and serpent under the feet of his image signify that the good always prevails over evil.

Festivals

  • The day for celebration of Heidi across China is his birthday, on lunar April 21.
  • A festival is held on the island of Taipa in Macau. The celebration at the Pak Tai Temple includes an opera-styled performance
  • Annual Bun Festival in Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong, held in front of the Pak Tai Temple.

    Temples in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, it is worshipped among other places in:
Note : A territory-wide grade reassessment of historic buildings is ongoing. The grades listed in the table are based on these updates . The temples with a "Not listed" status in the table below are not graded and do not appear in the list of historic buildings considered for grading.
LocationNotesStatusReferencesPhotographs
No. 2 Lung On Street, Wan Chai
Wan Chai Pak Tai Temple, also known as Yuk Hui Kung
Managed by the Chinese Temples Committee.
Declared
A Kung Ngam, south coast of Lei Yue Mun Channel
Pak Tai Temple
The inscription at the front reads.
Not listed
Near the southern junction of Old Main Street Aberdeen and Aberdeen Main Street, Aberdeen
Pak Tai Temple
Part of the "Guardians of Aberdeen" group of small temples and shrines.
Not listed
Facing Stanley Bay, Stanley
Pak Tai Temple, Stanley
Built in 1805. Managed by Stanley Kai-fong Welfare Association Ltd. by delegation from the Chinese Temples Committee.
Nil grade
Hok Tsui Village, D'Aguilar Peninsula
Pak Tai TempleNot listed
No. 146 Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom
Pak Tai Temple, Hok Yuen Kok
Built in 1929. It is managed by the Chinese Temples Committee.
Nil grade
Nos. 196 and 198 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po
Sam Tai Tsz Temple and Pak Tai Temple
Managed by the Chinese Temples Committee.
Grade II
Grade III
Lomond Road Garden, Lomond Road, Ma Tau Wai
Sheung Tai Temple
Only the stone doorframe of the demolished temple remains.
Grade III
Mong Tseng Wai, Ping Shan, Yuen Long District
Yuen Kwan Tai Temple, Mong Tseng Wai
Dedicated to Yuen Tai/Pak Tai and Kwan Tai.
Grade I
Cheung Shing Street, Yuen Long Kau Hui
Yuen Kwan Yi Tai Temple
It was probably built in 1714. Commonly known as Pak Tai Temple, it is dedicated to Yuen Tai/Pak Tai and Kwan Tai. The temple functions as an ancestral hall and a temple of Sai Pin Wai. Village meetings are also held there.
Grade I
Yuen Kong Tsuen, Pat Heung, Yuen Long District
Chung Shing Temple
The main deity of the temple is Pak Tai with some others including Hau Wong and the Earth God.
Grade III
Jockey Club Road, north of Fanling Wai
Sam Shing Temple
For the worship of three deities: Pak Tai, Kwan Tai, and Man Cheong. The temple was moved to So Kwun Po in the late Ming dynasty and moved back to the present site in 1948.
Grade III
Sheung Yeung, Clear Water Bay
Pak Tai Temple, Clear Water BayNot listed
Pak She Street, Tung Wan, Cheung Chau
Yuk Hui Temple aka. Pak Tai Temple
Managed by the Chinese Temples Committee.
The interior of the temple can be explored with Google Street View.
Grade I
Tai Tei Tong, Mui Wo, Lantau Island
Pak Tai Temple, Tai Tei TongNot listed