Xuanwu (god)

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Xuanwu (玄武) or Xuandi (Chinese: 玄帝; pinyin: Xuándì), also known as Zhenwu (真武, lit. 'True Warrior' or 'Truly Valiant') or Zhenwu Dadi (真武大帝, lit. 'True Martial Great Emperor' or 'Truly Valiant Great Emperor'), is a deity in Chinese religion and one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is identified as the god of the north, associated with water, winter, and the Black Turtle-Snake — one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. He is particularly revered by practitioners of martial arts and as a protective deity against evil and disease. Xuanwu is widely worshipped throughout China, particularly in the northern provinces of Hebei and Henan from which his cult originated, and from the Tang–Song period onward also in southern provinces including Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, as well as among the overseas Chinese diaspora. The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty claimed to have received the divine assistance of Xuanwu during his successful Jingnan Campaign (1399–1402) against...

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