Chaoshan people believe in many gods and buddhas. In addition to Buddhist temples and temples in county towns, there are gods everywhere in urban and rural areas. Moreover, it is not a single Buddha and Tao, but a combination of Buddha and Tao.
The most frequently believed gods are: Tian Xuan, Sanyi Emperor (Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Guan Yu), Guan Laoye, Sanshan King, Wind and Rain Sage (in charge of good weather), Earth God, Anji Wang Sheng, Lucky Master (usually kept in shops or at home), Compassionate Empress, Seven Saints, Empress, Pearl Empress, Notre Dame, Heaven and Earth Parents (in temples). The gods in every family are: landlord (placed behind the door), heaven and earth, kitchen god (placed by the kitchen stove), in-laws (placed by the bed), well worker, well mother (placed by the well), door god and grain mother (placed on the table of the person in charge of crops or the head of the rice bucket). These gods belong to Taoism, as well as Buddhism, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Water Buddha in the water. These are the gods that Chaoshan people have generally believed in since ancient times. The time of worship can be burning incense every day, worshipping on the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month, celebrating the holidays, or celebrating the birthday of a god. However, the gods worshipped in every place are not the same. For example, Cao Wei's deities include: ancient saints, Grand Palace, old uncle, Goddess of Notre Dame, Goddess of Pearl, Goddess of Guanyin, while the Cheng Deshan Temple is dedicated to Grandpa Song Dafeng, Tathagata and other deities.
These gods also have their own management (blessing) scope, some of them protect the safety of people and animals in a certain urban and rural area or a certain area, and some are the protectors of a certain industry or certain things. Therefore, there is a saying in Chaoshan: "You can stay in the graveyard, but you can't stay in the temple", which means that ghosts in the graveyard will treat newcomers as guests, and the gods in the temple don't welcome outsiders, especially Sanshanwang Temple, because of their certain management scope. Ha ha! I also heard it from the older generation. In fact, the worship of gods in Chaoshan area is not completely feudal superstition, but also a traditional custom. Due to its unique geographical location, Chaoshan is almost completely surrounded by mountains, so it has been isolated from the outside world for a long time. Before the opening of Guangzhou-Meishan Railway, there was only one national highway 324 connected with the outside world, and it was very close to the sea, so many people had to leave their homes to make a living, do business or fish in the sea. Those who stay at home can only pray for the safety of their loved ones outside and pin their care and thoughts on the blessing of the gods, which has never stopped for many years, so the temple fairs in Chaoshan area are very prosperous.