The Great Emperor of Fengdu, also known as "Emperor of Northern Yin" and "Emperor of Northern Tai" among other names, is the supreme deity of the netherworld in Taoism.
The belief in the Great Emperor of Fengdu originated relatively early. The Classic of Mountains and Seas contains records of a ghost country, stating that there was a huge peach tree on Mount Dushuo, with branches extending three thousand li. The branch facing the east gate was called the Ghost Gate, a place where all ghosts entered and exited. There were two divine beings at the gate: one named Shen Tu and the other Yu Lei, who were in charge of managing all ghosts.
The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) also mentions the idea that the netherworld summons people's souls to interrogate them, stating: "The Yin Law Office calculates the karmic debts one has inherited, deducting one's lifespan. After the lifespan is exhausted, the deities of the netherworld and the earth are summoned to collect the physical body and interrogate the soul."
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Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty also wrote in Zhenzhong Shu: "Zhang Heng and Yang Yun are the ghost emperors of the north, ruling over Mount Luofeng." In fact, Ge Hong also recorded the "Five Ghost Emperors" in Yuanshi Shangzhen Zhongxian Ji, stating: "The Eastern Ghost Emperor rules over Mount Taozhi, the Southern Ghost Emperor over Mount Luofu, the Western Ghost Emperor over Mount Fanzhong, and the Central Ghost Emperor over Mount Baodu; while the Northern Ghost Emperors are Zhang Heng and Yang Yun, ruling over Mount Luofeng."
The Great Emperor of Fengdu has a term of 3,000 years, after which he is replaced. The area under his jurisdiction is the Fengdu Hell, which is divided into six courts, each specifically responsible for handling affairs in the netherworld. As the old saying goes, those who commit heinous crimes and unforgivable evils, as well as evil spirits and demons, are imprisoned in the Fengdu Hell and can never be reincarnated. The Fengdu Hell is more terrifying and sinister than the eighteen hells in Buddhism.
