Standard image of Taoist god unveiled in Tai'an

The standard image of Bixiayuanjun, one of China's most well-known gods, is published in Tai'an, Shandong province on Dec 6. [Photo/sina.cn]

The standard image of Bixiayuanjun, one of Taoism's most well-known and influential female gods, was unveiled in Tai'an, Shandong province on Dec 6.

The standard statue of Bixiayuanjun –– donated by Tai'an Taishan Jade Industry Development and Management Center to Mount Tai Scenic Area –– is made of Taishan jade.

The worship of Bixiayuanjun can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and hit its peak during the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). According to surveys, around 1 million households in China worship Bixiayuanjun.

The image and statue of Bixiayuanjun, however, has had no standard image for a long time. Many worshippers even mistake other gods for Bixiayuanjun.

In this case, Mount Tai Scenic Area initiated a project last year, to standardize the image and statue of the goddess.