Tudigongs are low-level Taoist deities who protect specific geographical areas.
“Tudigong” means “lord of the land” in Mandarin. Other names for the deities include “Tugong,” meaning “lord of the soil,” and “Tua Pek Kong,” which is Hokkien (a southern dialect) for “Grand Uncle.”
Tudigong are often depicted as elderly white-bearded men dressed in colorful robes. They are sometimes paired with wives, known as Tudipo, meaning “grandmother of the land.”
Worshippers pray to a Tudigong to bring prosperity, good health and safety to the land—and its residents—guarded by the deity. If the worshippers move, they say goodbye to the old Tudigong and transfer their prayers to the one protecting the new area.
It is believed that people who have served their community well become Tudigongs when they die.