Hou Tu 后土, also recognized as the “Lord of the Earth” or “Goddess of the Earth,” was a revered natural deity whose worship persisted throughout the era of imperial China. This deity, referred to as Dizhi 地祗, served as a counterpart to the Great Unity (taiyi 太一), which symbolized Heaven. The customary offerings to this Earth deity were predominantly conducted during the summer months. Within the later Former Han period (前漢) spanning 206 BCE to 8 CE, the altar dedicated to the Earth was typically established in the vicinity of the capital, with a preference for southern locations.
In Daoist philosophy, Hou Tu was seen as a subordinate deity to the Yellow Emperor 黃帝, who was considered the god of the celestial center. Additionally, Hou Tu was recognized among the Four Guides 四御 of Daoist tradition. As a helper, Hou Tu was depicted with a surveying rope used for measuring the earth.
The Confucian classic, Liji 禮記, specifically in the chapter Jifa 祭法, identifies Hou Tu as the offspring of Gong Gong 共工, a figure believed to preside over the nine provinces. His primary role was to ensure equilibrium (ping 平) among the empire’s various regions, solidifying his status as the deity of the soil. Moreover, the chapter Yueling 月令 notes that the Yellow Emperor governed the center of the world as the supreme “emperor” (di 帝), while Hou Tu was revered as its spiritual essence (shen 神).
An excerpt from an apocryphal text known as Xiaojing wei 孝經緯 sheds light on the belief that due to the vastness of the world, it was impractical to honor a singular deity. Thus, local shrines (she 社) were established where communities would dedicate sacrifices to the soil or earth represented by their respective local deities (sheshen 社神).
Further elaboration can be found in the literary collection Chuci 楚辭, titled “Poetry of the South,” which discusses Hou Tu’s dominion over the dark realm (youdu 幽都) situated beneath the earth’s surface.
In a broader context, the term Hou Tu has also been used to refer to local government officials responsible for the management of soil and estates, known as tu zheng 土正, translating to “rectifier of the soil.”
Sources:
Cihai 辞海 (Shanghai: Shanghai cishu chubanshe, 1999), 854.
Jiang Zihua 蔣梓驊, Fan Maozhen 范茂震, Yang Deling 楊德玲, ed. (1992). Guishenxue cidian 鬼神學詞典 (Xi’an: Shaanxi renmin chubanshe), 32.
Li Jianping 李劍平, ed. (1998). Zhongguo shenhua renwu cidian 中國神話人物辞典 (Xi’an : Shanxi ren min chu ban she), 482.
Lü Zongli 呂宗力, ed. (1994). Zhongguo lidai guanzhi da cidian 中國歷代官制大辭典 (Beijing: Beijing chubanshe), 374.
Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, ed. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 359.
Zhang Zhenglang 張政烺 (ed.1990). Zhongguo gudai guanzhi da cidian 中國古代職官大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Henan renmin chubanshe), 482.
