History
There are temples dedicated to local town gods in many cities of China. Much like the ancient Greeks, the Chinese traditionally believe that guardian gods watched over cities. City gods are believed to be involved in several areas of city life, including the built environment within the city walls, communal concerns such as the need for rain, and personal requests such as recovery from illness. Town residents may appeal to the city god for help in a natural disaster or other crisis. The city god may also be called upon to help those who are accused of crimes. The accused appear before the god and ask for a sign to help prove their innocence.
Different towns have their own city gods; usually, these patron gods are deified deceased officials. City gods are believed to hold an important position in the divine bureaucracy, and their role in the spiritual world is much like the role of an official in the human world. In Imperial times it was often debated whether local gods such as the city god held more power than the local officials. There could also be a relation between the city god and the official. The official or magistrate would often turn to the city god for advice and help in governing the city. Many of the walled cities in China contained a temple referred to as the city god temple. These cities were of no particular size but were dedicated to one or more gods who watched over the walled city.
Read more about this topic: City God
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