The king and guardian of the north has a green body. In his left hand he holds the parasol-like furled banner and in his right hand he holds either a pagoda or a silver mongoose vomiting jewels. He is the most important of the Tian-wang. The celestial king of the east has a white body. He plays on a Chinese lute, the sound of which purifies the thoughts of men and brings them to tranquility. The guardian of the south has a blue body. He holds a sword which he uses in his battle against darkness (i.e., ignorance). He protects the root of goodness in human beings. The last king, that of the west, has a red body. In his right hand he holds a serpent before which he holds the wish-fulfilling gem. Each king has ninety-one sons who help him to guard the ten directions as well as eight generals and other minions who care for the world quarter assigned to him.
The Tian-wang have been known in China since the fourth century, but have been venerated (in their present form) since the Tang Dynasty (early 7th century).
