CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

— 278 —
He died A. D. 1062 (1). Popular opinion in Nganhwei $£ $fc and Kiangsu
iX H nas made him President of the Fifth Court of Hades, and
statues representing him as such are found in several temples.
2°. Han K'in-hu ff ^ ^| (A. D. 527-593). A native of the
district city of Sin-ngan $f #, in the province of Honan jpT ^ (2).
Distinguished in early years for his literary character, coupled with
great integrity, he served at first under the emperor Wu-ti jj^ '^f,
of the Ch'en [^ dynasty, and subsequently aided Wen-ti t£ ^,
first emperor of the Sui pj| dynasty to establish his throne. Under
this last ruler, he fulfilled the office of Prime Minister, and was
honoured with the title of "Supreme Pillar of the State" (3). At
the close of his life, he fell into a trance, and is reputed to have
said that he wished after death to be "King of Hades" (4). A few
days after his demise, a woman who lived in the neighbourhood of
his home, beheld at the door an imposing array of footmen, messen-
gers and other attendants, as if to escort a distinguished personage.
On enquiring who they were and what their purpose was, she was
informed they came to bear away their king. Later on, a sick
person knocked at the door of the deceased official, and stated that
he also came to request the king to grant him a special favour. —
"What king do you mean, enquired the servants? — Yen-lo-wang
Ifi) $k 3E> replied the visitor" (5).
(1) Giles. Chinese Biographical Dictionary, p. 018. — Mayers. Chinese
Reader's Manual, p. 168.
(2) Han K'in-hu M ® Jk- His literary name was Tze-t'ung ^- M- Giles.
Chinese Biographical Dictionary, p. 245.
(3) M c Gowan. The Imperial History of China, p. 261 (The Sui dynasty.
A.D. 589-618).
(4) Giles. Chinese Biographical Dictionaiw. p. 245.
(5) General History of Spirits and Immortals, Shen-sien-t'ung-kien jji# j$\
}5j $g. A Taoist work first published in 1640. It comprises a series of
biographical sketches, for the most part fabulous and legendary, of 800 saints,
sages and divinities, selected chiefly from the ranks of Taoists, with a few
Buddhist characters admitted into the number. A second edition was
published in 1700, in 22 books, and a 3'