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Unit 2
When you visit temples, you must have seen divine guardians
placed on gates or doors. In Chinese folk religions, they are Menshen,
or door gods. They are usually paired pictures of mythological or
deified historical figures to guard against evil influences and bring
harmony to the household, Their bright eyes and lively martial
expressions are the innovation of Liu Chia-Cheng, who blends
Chinese ink-wash with Western painting techniques and defines the
image of door gods in Taiwan.
Starting young, Liu showed striking artistic talent in their simple
country village. He was amazed by the rich hues used to depict the
revered temple figures and decided to dedicate himself to temple arts.
However, temple arts were largely despised because the Japanese
government banned folk religions and very few temple painters
remained. The crude paintings produced worsened the pervading
low opinion of temple arts. When people sneered, Liu put heart and
soul into learning Chinese-style portraiture, landscapes and Western-
style oils and water colors. Moreover, he also studied anatomy to get
a better grasp of poses and expressions. These efforts are never in vain. Liu's door gods
retain a sense of tradition in spite of their realism and three-dimensionality, and possess a
unique charm
Door gods are supposed to complement the principal gods dwelling in the temple
According to Liu, the major problem of Taiwanese temples nowadays is the mismatch
between door gods and the principal gods. A Taoist god should be paired with Taoist doo
gods, Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong. A Buddhist deity should be protected by Buddhis
figures, Wei Tuo and Jia Lan. Low-ranking gods, such as the local Earth God, ar
rarely paired with any door gods. (He once renovated a temple serving dark gods of the
underworld whereas the door gods were the highest-ranking generals who only serve th-
Jade Emperor, the Taoist supreme god. ]“That would frighten the visiting ghosts!” Liu saic
Decades of efforts have brought Liu a number of accolades. He was named a Livir
National Treasure in 2016. For all that time has passed, Liu has painted and renovate
more than 400 temples in his career. In recent years, Liu has worked on project to produ
a visual database for more than 100 door gods. He is not yet ready to rest on his lauren
One brushstroke at a time, he still paints to sketch the future of temple arts in Taiwan.
Wei Tuo and Jia Lan 韋馱、伽藍菩薩;Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong 秦叔寶、尉遲恭
