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Alongside the Investment Wealth God Tua Di Ya Pek, Zhong Kui has been long revered among the global Chinese diaspora, particularly in Buddhist and Taoist traditions, as a guardian of indirect wealth. He is held in high regard by devotees who seek him out for blessings in endeavours beyond their primary occupation. These activities would include supplementary professional commitments, investments and other sources of windfalls — defined as an unexpected influx in one’s income.

The history behind Zhong Kui

Legend has it that during his time on earth, Zhong Kui bore an unsightly appearance, with a panther-like head, big piercing eyes and a large, curly beard. Despite his physical shortcomings, he was blessed with great intellect and a natural affinity for academia. As a gifted scholar, he topped the Imperial civil examination — notorious for its stringent rigour. While this was to have earned him acclaim as an imperial scholar, as well as secured him a position as a high-ranking court official, the Emperor was taken aback by his appearance and denied him of his rightful place. Outraged by this injustice, Zhong Kui took his own life in protest.

In a heartening reversal of fortunes, Zhong Kui finally gained the recognition he was due at the divine judgement of the afterlife. At the gates of the underworld, the King of Hades — its supreme gatekeeper — took a discerning approach to his tragic earthly circumstances. Despite Zhong Kui’s earthly disenchantment, the King of Hades recognised that he had been a victim of circumstance. Moreover, his academic brilliance and arithmetic acumen found great favour with the King of Hades, who appointed him an Indirect Wealth God.

Since then, Zhong Kui relished his newfound duties, embracing all who seek him out for indirect wealth blessings. In his mortal life, Zhong Kui suffered from discriminatory practices and was hindered from achieving his goals and ambitions by the lack of opportunities accorded to him. Spurred by this prejudice, he took it upon himself, in his reincarnation as Indirect Wealth God, to help devotees achieve financial breakthroughs in investments, trading and other windfalls. To this end, he eliminates malefactors and other obstacles for devotees, paving the path to success that he was once denied.

Beyond his revered status among Buddhists and Taoists, Zhong Kui is a well-known testament to the unbridled potential of great intellect. When harnessed for the right purposes, the collective wisdom of society is an irrepressible tool that can be put to immeasurable use.

Such an ideal is referenced in the core tenets of Confucianism, where the importance of wisdom is enshrined in the Sangang Wuchang (三纲五常). The tenets of the Sangang Wuchang form a cherished framework by which many East Asian societies, implicitly or otherwise, have resonated for centuries. The Sangang Wuchang, literally translated as “Three Guiding Principles and Five Constant Regulations” are a cherished set of desirable virtues that form a collective framework that collectively sets its adherents in good stead to achieve future successes.

With his inextricable association with the Sangang Wuchang, Zhong Kui bears great significance in secular cultural traditions. His experiences resonate with a vast spectrum of society, including those without strong ties to the Buddhist or Taoist traditions he is more commonly associated with. In Chinese mythologies retold across all walks of life, he is viewed as a vanquisher of evil, and a champion of all that is righteous. Indeed, Zhong Kui’s image is often emblazoned across the doors of Chinese households and businesses that seek to leverage his legendary wisdom in achieving their greatest goals.

Zhong Kui receives particularly high acclaim during key occasions such as Chinese New Year, when families traditionally look to him for blessings and protection from evil throughout the ensuing year. During this auspicious time, the legend of Zhong Kui comes alive at family gatherings, where it is retold as a celebration of his enthralling life trajectory.

Zhong Kui’s story epitomises the limitless human potential to be tapped when one commits to a lifelong ethos of erudition. Indeed, actively honing one’s intellectual capacities not only broadens one’s worldview but also goes a long way in building one’s multifaceted successes. Today, Zhong Kui’s tale often acts as a great inspiration to the ambitious, spurring them to chase their dreams through an enduring spirit of self-development.

The re-imagined Imperial Harvest Fine Jadeite Windfall Wealth God

At Imperial Harvest, Master David and his team pay tribute to Zhong Kui’s unrivalled intellect with the all-new and reimagined Five Wealth Gods collection.

Inspired by the enduring appeal and relevance of the Five Wealth Gods to contemporary society, the Imperial Harvest Fine Jadeite Zhong Kui pendant celebrates the extensive reach of this timeless indirect wealth god. On this fine jadeite treasure, the revered deity himself occupies centre stage, both visually and ideologically. Conceptualised by Master David over hours of inquiry into Zhong Kui’s experiences, this reimagined fine jadeite treasure chronicles his life of strife and determination in vivid detail.

(Singapore Design Patent No. 30202260210X)

In a fitting ode to Zhong Kui’s celebrated wisdom, the Imperial Harvest Fine Jadeite Zhong Kui features a Rongchang folding fan as its visual and ideological centre. The prominence of this relic hearkens back to its significance in dynastic Chinese history, when it was celebrated for its refined craftsmanship and diversity in design — particularly among the nobility and imperial scholars. Through this fine Imperial Harvest jadeite treasure, Master David thus ascribes to Zhong Kui what he was ruthlessly denied, restoring him to his rightful place in the prestigious annals of imperial scholarship.

The sword is an unrivalled weapon of prosperity in Zhong Kui’s capable hands, commanding massive influence for its destined owner to capture the transformational opportunities and pivotal milestones in their life journeys. Much like how Zhong Kui wields the sword in the face of malefactors, he expunges obstacles from his adherents’ paths to success — guiding them towards new opportunities to achieve their aspirations.

Proudly adorning a treasure trove of gold ingots in the Imperial Harvest Fine Jadeite Zhong Kui is the Imperial Harvest emblem — the signature mark of excellence that embodies the unrivalled Imperial Harvest craftsmanship and heritage. In this fine earthly treasure, the Imperial Harvest emblem reaffirms the brand’s unyielding adherence to the principles of Imperial Feng Shui.

Imperial Harvest’s revitalised Fine Jadeite Zhong Kui features the Windfall Wealth God as the epitome of wisdom. In today’s contemporary world, the value of wisdom remains ever more important in making intuitive decisions. This refreshed Imperial Harvest treasure distils the wisdom of Zhong Kui, bestowing on its destined owners the strategic acumen to take advantage of all opportunities that present themselves.

Read about the Imperial Harvest’s reimagined Five Wealth Gods Collection here