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- The Wǔfāng Shàngdì (五方上帝 "Five Regions' Highest Deities" or "Highest Deities of the Five Regions"), or simply Wǔdì (五帝 "Five Deities") or Wǔshén (五神 "Five Gods") are, in Chinese canonical texts and common Chinese religion, the fivefold manifestation of the supreme God of Heaven (天 Tiān). This theology dates back at least to the Shang dynasty. Described as the "five changeable faces of Heaven", they represent Heaven's cosmic activity which shapes worlds as tán 壇, "altars", imitating its order which is visible in the starry vault, the north celestial pole and its spinning constellations. The Five Deities themselves represent these constellations. In accordance with the Three Powers (三才 Sāncái) they have a celestial, a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The Han Chinese identify themselves as the descendants of the Red and Yellow Deities. They are associated with the five colors, the five phases of the continuous creation, the five key planets of the Solar System and the five constellations rotating around the celestial pole, the five sacred mountains and five directions of space (their terrestrial form), and the five Dragon Gods (龙神 Lóngshén) who represent their mounts, that is to say the material forces they preside over (their chthonic form). They have also been defined simply as five special forms of the worship of the God of Heaven, different "accesses" or perspectives, suitable for different situations, to serve Heaven. According to Zheng Xuan, the influence of their activity begets different categories of beings on earth. Explaining the ancient theology about the origins of kings from Heaven's impregnation of earthly women, he commented: 王者之先祖, 皆感大微五帝之精以生 — Every ancestor of him who is the king was given birth to as the result of an influential movement [gǎn 感] made by the spirits of the Five Deities. (en)
- 五方上帝，即東、南、西、北、中五方上帝，又稱為五帝、五方帝、五天帝、五方天帝、五方天神等。六輅祭祀：一曰蒼輅，以祀昊天上帝；二曰青輅，以祀東方上帝；三曰朱輅，以祀南方上帝及朝日；四曰黃輅，以祭地祇、中央上帝；五曰白輅，以祀西方上帝及夕月；六曰玄輅，以祀北方上帝及感帝、神州。其中，昊天上帝為自然上帝，即蒼天；五方上帝，即東方青帝太昊（伏羲氏），南方炎帝（神農氏），中央黃帝（軒轅氏），西方白帝（少昊），北方黑帝（顓頊），為人格化的五位上帝。 五帝有先天五帝和後天五帝之分。先天五帝為統治東西南北中五個方位之天神、天上之帝，即東方青帝太昊、南方赤帝炎帝、西方白帝少昊、北方玄帝顓頊、中央黃帝軒轅。後天五帝即天下之帝，為華夏上古五位聖王賢君，即伏羲、炎帝、黃帝、少昊、顓頊。昊天上帝即紫微垣北极星，先天五帝位于太微垣，帝王先祖皆由太微五帝按五德终始说感生而出。 (zh)
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- 五方上帝，即東、南、西、北、中五方上帝，又稱為五帝、五方帝、五天帝、五方天帝、五方天神等。六輅祭祀：一曰蒼輅，以祀昊天上帝；二曰青輅，以祀東方上帝；三曰朱輅，以祀南方上帝及朝日；四曰黃輅，以祭地祇、中央上帝；五曰白輅，以祀西方上帝及夕月；六曰玄輅，以祀北方上帝及感帝、神州。其中，昊天上帝為自然上帝，即蒼天；五方上帝，即東方青帝太昊（伏羲氏），南方炎帝（神農氏），中央黃帝（軒轅氏），西方白帝（少昊），北方黑帝（顓頊），為人格化的五位上帝。 五帝有先天五帝和後天五帝之分。先天五帝為統治東西南北中五個方位之天神、天上之帝，即東方青帝太昊、南方赤帝炎帝、西方白帝少昊、北方玄帝顓頊、中央黃帝軒轅。後天五帝即天下之帝，為華夏上古五位聖王賢君，即伏羲、炎帝、黃帝、少昊、顓頊。昊天上帝即紫微垣北极星，先天五帝位于太微垣，帝王先祖皆由太微五帝按五德终始说感生而出。 (zh)
- The Wǔfāng Shàngdì (五方上帝 "Five Regions' Highest Deities" or "Highest Deities of the Five Regions"), or simply Wǔdì (五帝 "Five Deities") or Wǔshén (五神 "Five Gods") are, in Chinese canonical texts and common Chinese religion, the fivefold manifestation of the supreme God of Heaven (天 Tiān). This theology dates back at least to the Shang dynasty. Described as the "five changeable faces of Heaven", they represent Heaven's cosmic activity which shapes worlds as tán 壇, "altars", imitating its order which is visible in the starry vault, the north celestial pole and its spinning constellations. The Five Deities themselves represent these constellations. In accordance with the Three Powers (三才 Sāncái) they have a celestial, a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The Han Chinese identify themselves as th (en)
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