Tudigong, the Lord of Soil and Earth, is the representative of the gods who reside on the land. The Chinese or Thai people of Chinese descent worship these gods in the Chinese Earth Shrine to protect themselves from anything bad or evil while praying for good things like wealth.

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Each household might worship the Chinese Earth Shrine only on special events like Chinese New Years, Chew-ik Day (the 1st of every month in the Chinese Calendar / 初一日) or Chub-Ngow Day (the 15th of every month in the Chinese Calendar / 十五日). They may also do this when the family goes for a trip so they can have a safe trip and pray for the spirits to protect their home. On the other hand, stores or offices usually worship the Chinese Earth Shrine everyday to pray for good fortune and smooth running of the business.

Certain preparations are needed for worshipping at the Chinese Earth Shrine. Usually, 2 glasses of water, 5 cups of tea, and a plate of fruits should be provided when you worship. To use one from a previous prayer ceremony may cause bad luck so it needs to be changed every time. When the set is ready, 7 incense sticks should be lighted for each person. After praying for good fortune, 5 incense sticks will be placed in front of the shrine and another 2 will be placed on each side of the main entrance of the house.

When the Chinese New Year comes around, a special worship ceremony of the Chinese Earth Shrine is performed for sending the Gods of the land to heaven. On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, this is done so that the Gods can bring stories of what happened on land up to the Jade Emperor. This is an old belief that the Chinese people still believe. On the 4th day of the 1st lunar month, another worship ceremony is held to bring the gods of the land back down from heaven so they can protect the home as they did before.

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The history and beliefs surrounding the Chinese Earth Shrine have lasted for a longer time than imaginable. According to folk tales, it is said that it all happened about 3000 years ago during the era of the Zhou Dynasty.

As the tale goes, there was a servant by the name of Zhang Ming De (张明德), who was born into a poor family of low class. His birth into such a family meant that he had to become a servant for a nobleman’s family belonging to a higher class. One day, the nobleman Master Shang (上大夫) who Zhang Ming De served, had to go to the capital for his duty since he was a civil servant. Master Shang had his belongings packed and set out to the capital with his wife in advance. Before leaving, he urged Zhang Ming De to take care of his daughter and bring her to the capital after they left.

Like a dutiful servant, Zhang Ming De followed his orders and set out with the daughter. He did not want her to suffer during the journey and carried the master’s daughter on his back while holding all their luggage with his hands. While heading towards the capital, they were caught in a blizzard and Zhang Ming De offered his clothes to the nobleman’s daughter to protect her from the cold. However, this meant that he was exposed to the severe cold and he died during the journey. At the time of his death, 8 letters appeared in the sky and it read: Deity of the Southern Heavenly Gate Fu De Zheng Shen. (南天門大仙福德正神)

When the nobleman’s daughter arrived at the capital, they built a shrine in gratitude to honour Zhang Ming De. This shrine was called Fu De Temple. Sometime later, an emperor passed by this shrine and was quite impressed when he worshipped there. He passed a royal command to rename the Fu De Temple as Tudigong which meant God of Soil and Earth. The villagers started coming to this temple to pray for protection and safety. Soon, this started the tradition of placing a picture of the house deity in any house or place of work to bring peace, prosperity, well being and successful trade for the family.

Nowadays, the altar of the Chinese Earth Shrine is made of a material like wood, marble or even plastic. The one detail that remains unchanged while setting up this shrine is that it must touch the ground. This is because the shrine is made for the Gods of the earth, regardless of what material is used.

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Although these shrines are common amongst people of Chinese descent, the matter of proportions is not something a lot of people are aware of. The Chinese Earth Shrine cannot be built in any random way as one might please. The width, length and other elements of the shrine have to be auspicious numbers and any inauspicious numbers must be avoided. If the principle of auspicious numbers is not followed, worshipping in the shrine will bring more harm than good to the family.

As the leading Interior design and decoration company in Thailand, Bareo places a lot of attention on the matter of Fengshui. This is why the company has designed and developed our own versions of the Chinese Earth Shrine.

The principle of auspicious numbers is followed even while creating a beautiful design that aligns with other elements in a house or store. There are 3 such styles that we offer to match different designs and enhance other aspects of a space.

SHIN | Limited Edition

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

SHIN is a very unique kind of Chinese Earth Shrine. The design was made to exude a sense of harmony and it includes a supporting pole and a roof that is designed to look like waves.

This SHIN model is extremely auspicious for enhancing the power of negotiation and business. With this design, all the proportions are in the range of auspicious numbers of trade and negotiation. The four supporting pillars in the shrine are like having a patron all the time. This helps in ensuring that every trade negotiation goes smoothly and wealth is welcomed.

SHIN | Limited Edition

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

The shrine is made of striped maple wood and a full sheet of glass coated in red and marked with golden Chinese characters. More dimension is added to the design with 4 LED lights strips. The base of the SHIN shrine is paved with crystal white stones which reduce the hardness of the wood. There are hidden drawers in the front where items used during worship are stored.

VEGA | The Exclusive

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

The VEGA design is appropriate for increasing the power of work, for civil servants and more support. The proportions are thus created keeping the auspicious numbers for these things in mind. It helps in allowing promotions or achieving better success at work, the smooth operation of work without any obstacles and also to help someone be favoured by seniors in their line of work.

The VEGA shrine looks like a fireplace. In Greek and Roman culture, it is believed that the fireplace in a house is a sacred feature. This version of the shrine has a very distinctive look similar to a fireplace and can thus be combined with other kinds of design work around a house.

VEGA | The Exclusive

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

It is a beautiful design that has a classic shape which is lined with PU cornice and hidden LED lights add dimension to the shrine. Gold coloured acrylic letters are marked on the stone patterned laminate sheet of the VEGA model. The base is paved with crystal white stones that enhance the elegance of the shrine. A drawer in the front is used for storing items for worship.

MERIDIAN | Limited Edition

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

Meridian is a term that refers to the most important geographical longitude line in the world and this is where the design derived its name. The vertical line of the Meridian represents stability and smooth sailing in life. This model has a modern look with straight lines and fits well into all styles of interiors.

This version of the Chinese Earth Shrine is great for family empowerment, support and peaceful life. The proportions of the shrine are thus created with auspicious numbers for these particular purposes in mind. This is why this shrine helps in promoting the wellbeing of the family with no internal conflict since every member of the family feels loved and supported.

MERIDIAN | Limited Edition

Design and Licenses by Bareo Company Limited

The Meridian model with its straight vertical lines has a modern look that feels harmonious in any design. It can be placed in the centre of a house or any corner but it will still blend in well with other elements of the space. This model has red and gold glass coating and LED lights which add dimension to the linear design. The front of the shrine has white stone and hidden drawers are used for storing worship items.

For someone of Chinese descent who believes in the older tales and traditions, it is essential to have a Chinese Earth Shrine in the house or place of work. It brings auspiciousness to the residents of the house and helps the business to prosper. Adding a Chinese Earth Shrine also adds a unique beauty and charm to any house or store it is placed in.