Goddess of Mindu: Lady Linshui's Path to Apotheosis

This story follows the extraordinary life of Chen Jinggu, the Fujian folk goddess known as Lady Linshui, and takes readers into a fantastical world of mythology.

During the Dali era of the Tang dynasty, Luoyang Bridge was being built in Quanzhou. Guanyin took the form of a beautiful woman on a boat and solicited donations, prompting the crowd to throw gold and silver her way.

A young vegetable seller, Wang Xiao'er, received secret help from Lü Dongbin and hit the beautiful woman with his offering, but died soon afterward. His soul was reborn as Liu Qi.

Guanyin infused a waxberry with her blood, enabling Ge, the wife of Chen Chang, to conceive Chen Jinggu.

As she grew up, Chen Jinggu resolved to devote herself to Buddhism and never marry. When she refused a marriage proposal, she was led to Mount Lü to study magic.

After completing her training, she returned and rescued her parents and Liu Qi. She also subdued Danxia the Great Sage, a red-haired monkey who had lived for a thousand years, and killed the white snake spirit in the Min king’s palace. The Min king bestowed on her the title “Lady Linshui” and granted her a residence at Linshui Palace in Gutian, which he had restored.

At the age of 24, during a severe drought in Fuzhou, Chen Jinggu prayed for rain on behalf of the people despite her master’s warning. But she was tricked by the Zhangkeng ghost and the white snake spirit, and lost her unborn child before dying in meditation.

After her death, she learned the art of protecting mothers and ensuring safe childbirth, and vowed to watch over those giving birth.

The Jade Emperor appointed her to govern human fertility. From then on, she protected all people. Whether women faced difficult labor or plague ravaged the land, she would answer the people’s sincere prayers and appear to help.

Chen Jinggu’s story embodies people’s pursuit of justice, kindness, and a better life.

Her heroic deeds and boundless compassion have been passed down through generations in art forms such as opera and painting, becoming a treasure of Fujian’s traditional culture.