CHENG-HUANG

[Chinese] Chinese protective deities. They ward off disasters and catastrophes and protect the inhabitants of cities under their care, who may also supplicate them. In periods of drought, they provide rain. They grant plentiful harvest and ensure the affluence of the citizens. The Cheng-huang also guide the souls of the departed to Heaven. A Taoist priest who wishes to help the soul of a dead person out of Hell, must first inform the protective deity of the city by submitting a document.