Baogong

Bao Zheng, eulogized in Chinese literary works in many forms through the ages, has always been portrayed with a black face and a crescent-shaped scar on his forehead, suggesting the impartiality and uprightness of an ancient Chinese official.

Zhong kui
(Zhong Kui Da Gui)

You probably will meet him in a shop dealing in old paintings. There he is, an ugly, friendish-looking man, with glowering eyes and bristling beard, usually perched on one leg brandishing a sword-- painted on a scroll.

Just as the ancient beauties provide the artist with scope for painting what is extremely beautiful, Zhong Kui gives him an opportunity to revel with his paint-brush in what is ferocious and grotesque.

A legendary figure first mentioned in a Song dynasty book, Zhong was supposed to have lived during the region of Emperor Xuan Zong of the Tang dynasty.

One night he had a dream in which he saw two ghosts. One was small in stature, clad in red, with one foot bare, holding a large paper fan. The spirit, it seemed, wanted to steal the emperor's jade flute and musk bag of the favourite imperial concubine Yang Guifei. Jumping and circling the palatial hall, he was chased by another ghost of great height and powerful build. The latter wore a hat and blue clothes, with small one, gouged out both of his eyes, split him into two and ate him up.

Astounded, the emperor asked him who he was. The big ghost replied, "Zhong Kui is the name. I died after failing in the imperial examination for military officers. I have, anyway, long resolved to wipe out all demons and monsters. So I am at it now."

As soon as he woke up, the emperor felt well again. Wu Daozi the famous painter was summoned for an imperical audience and told about the dream. By imperical order, he set about painting Zhong Kui's portrait according to the emperor's description. The result was the exact likeness of the ghost seen in the dream.

For later generations, therefore, Zhong Kui became an idol thought to be capable of eliminating ghosts and demons; and as mentioned above, he also became one of the favourite themes for painters. In the old days, people used to hang his portrait up in their homes on the Dragon Boat Festival ( the fifth day of the fifth lunar month ) to keep off evil spirits.