Nature is so boundlessly great it creates phenomena inexplicable to humans. In ancient China, natural phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder and lightning were no exception to this rule.

Ancient people, still with limited knowledge, offered sacrifices to the gods of nature. Among the most popular deities were the Land God, Dragon Kings and the gods of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. To some extent, they represented man's primitive wishes for harmony and to be able to live without suffering from nature's wrath. 

 Land God

In traditional China, every village had a shrine to the local Land God, who was thought to be the master of the earth and to administer the affairs of a particular area. Offering sacrifices to the Land God was actually a sacrifice to the earth.

In traditional times people's concerns were primarily agricultural or related to weather. Such a god was not all-powerful, but was a modest heavenly bureaucrat to whom individuals could turn in times of need, famine or drought.

The number of shrines mushroomed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Land God himself became a popular deity who frequently received sacrifices from local people. This is because Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Dynasty's creator, was said to be born at a Land God shrine. Zhu attached great importance to the sacrifice of the Land God when he came to power.

Land God was often called "Grandpa," which reflected his close relationship to the common people. He typically wore a long, thick and snowy white beard to signify his benevolence and affability.