His name literally means “Rabbit Deity. ” He is Tu Er Shen, and he is, literally, the God of Homosexual Men. And no, I am not making this up.
There are lots of reasons to visit Asia, but going there to find temples dedicated a patron god of homosexuality is probably unique. Tu Er Shen, also known by his mortal name Hu Tianbao, appeared in China’s southern region of Fujian during the Qing Dynasty, a period lasting from 1644 to 1912, and his story is a sad one: after confession his love for another man, an imperial officer, he was sentenced to death. However, the gods found his execution so spectacularly unlawful and savage they transfigured Hu Tianbao into Tu Er Shen, who effectively became the divinity overseeing the love between men.
Described as jovial and dedicated to his worshippers, think of Tu Er Shen as something of China’s version of Cupid, but only for a very specific audience, and a lot more powerful than some winged baby with a bow and arrow. Judaism and Christianity may have heavily edited whatever was going on between King David and Jonathan, but in Qing China, Tu Er Shen hit the ground running—after all, he was the only god of men-on-men love in China. One can only imagine how busy he must be…
While never the most well-known or popular of gods, then and now, his temples spread from Fujian to Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and all over China. Later, more conservative elements toned down his role to a decidedly non-sexual one, but his iconography, that of two men in an embrace, remains intact. (“They’re just wrestling,” said one temple staffer. …Right.).
However, in other regions, particularly in Fujian and the island of Taiwan, Tu Er Shen remains exactly was he is, and visitors to Taiwan should check out the Yonghe District in the capital, Taipei. There, at Yonghe Road Section 1, Alley 37, No. 12, is a small temple, and in it, a yellow clad idol of the god. There is another temple dedicated to him in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, and if you really want to get the low-down, author Keith Stevens went on a Tu Er Shen pilgrimage throughout Asia, publishing his work, “The Wrestling Princes” in the Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, in 2002.
There are lots of reasons to go to Asia. This one may be the most profound of them all. Steele Luxury Travel Knows that Asia is a hot destination these days. Let us help you get to the heat: www.SteeleTravel.com