Door gods

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Door gods. Three Chinese tutelary deities, derived, traditionally, from three officials of the emperor Tʾang Tai Tsung (d. 649), of whom the best known was Wei Cheng. When the emperor was afflicted by bad dreams, the three officials stood outside his door to ward off visiting spirits. They were later replaced by painted representations, and can be found in this form on the doorposts of Taoist temples, and sometimes of homes.