Who is The Panguan 判官

The 判官 (Panguan), or Judges of the Underworld, are assistants to the Yama Kings in the netherworld. There are quite a number of them, classified by their duties. The main types include four categories: the Judge in charge of punishments, the Judge in charge of the register of good deeds, the Judge in charge of the register of evil deeds, and the Judge in charge of the register of life and death. Among them, the Judge who holds the register of life and death ranks the highest and wields the greatest power.

Folk belief reveres a specific Judge who presides over the register of life and death — Lord Cuifu (崔府君). The Comprehensive Collection of Deities from the Three Teachings refers to him as Cui Jue, styled Ziyu, a native of Gucheng County in Qi Prefecture, Shanxi. This chief judge, Lord Cuifu, enjoys considerable fame among the people, which is probably closely related to his virtuous governance and "miraculous responses" during his official career, as well as the reverence bestowed upon him by emperors since the Tang Dynasty.

Supplement to the Records of Tripod Casting, Volume 3, quotes The Miraculous Records of Lord Cuifu in Cizhou as stating: Cui Jue's father was named Rang, and his mother was Lady Liu. He was born during the Sui Dynasty. His parents were kind and generous, and once dreamed that the God of Mount Tai gave them two jade pieces, which they swallowed, leading to Cui Jue's birth. Later, Cui Jue passed the imperial examination as a Xiaolian (a title for virtuous and talented scholars). During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, he served as an official in various places, where he was known for his benevolent policies and loving care for the people. After his death, he was worshipped by the local people, who built temples in his honor.

There are many records in folk tales and historical texts about Lord Cuifu's "miraculous responses." For example, it is said that he "handled affairs in the mortal world by day and governed the underworld by night," possessing extraordinary powers. The Complete Biography of Immortals records various legendary stories about him: during his tenure as an official, he sentenced hunters who illegally killed birds and beasts to punishment in the underworld, acting as the underworld judge himself; he could make tigers that had harmed people come to court with the talismans he issued in their mouths, where they would confess their crimes and die by hitting the steps; he could also set up altars to calm floods, among other feats. When word of these deeds spread, even Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty exclaimed that he was an "immortal official."

It is said that in the 64th year of his life, Lord Cuifu wrote a hundred-character instruction for his two sons, then passed away peacefully. People believed that the Jade Emperor had summoned him to become a god, overseeing the "netherworld" as the chief judge beside the Yama Kings. After the Tang and Song Dynasties, Lord Cuifu also became an important figure in mythological novels.

In temples, he is typically depicted as follows: wearing a soft-winged black gauze hat, a round-collared red official robe, a wide belt made of rhinoceros leather around his waist, and a pair of slanted-toe black boots. He has a full beard, round eyes, holds the register of good and evil deeds in his left hand, and the register of life and death in his right hand.