CAISHEN


Meaning of CAISHEN in English

or Ts'ai–shen

Chinese god of wealth, believed to bestow on his devotees the riches carried about by his attendants.

A Ming-dynasty novel relates that a hermit, Zhao Gongming, employed magic to support the collapsing Shang dynasty . He was killed by Jiang Ziya, a supporter of the Zhou dynasty . Rebuked for causing the death of a virtuous man, Jiang apologized in a temple, extolled Zhao's virtues, and canonized him as the god of wealth. During Chinese New Year, incense is burned in Caishen's temple and the greeting "May you become rich" is exchanged.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.