Wind God on the Roof

This statue of an armed warrior riding on a lion, traditionally regarded as the god who can keep strong winds in check, is one of the few of its kind still surviving in Taiwan. Taiwan Anecdote (Taiwan Tong Shih) written by Lien Ya-tang relates that the majestic and defiant warrior depicted is Chih Yu, a chieftain who was defeated by Huang Ti or the Yellow Emperor during a decisive battle in Chou Lu in northeastern China. Chih Yu was said to be endowed with the supernatural power to cause dense mist, but Huang Ti won the battle with the help of a compass he had invented. Some dissenters argued that if the legend were true, then Chih Yu should be honored as the mist god rather than the wind god.

Chuang Sung-ling, a famous local folklore specialist said in Taiwan Customs and Practices (Taiwan Feng Wu) that the rooftop warrior is called feng shih yeh (wind-lion-god literal translation) or pottery general. Sometimes, the wind god looks benign, sometimes fierce. Sometimes, also he stands alone, and sometimes, two gods are placed side by side. Occasionally, furnaces or water tanks are placed close to the statues.

Since the statues could not be placed on the thatched roofs which predominated in ancient times, very few of them were made. Today, there are only three wind god statues remaining on old buildings in the whole of Tainan city.

Usually, the statues were made of baked red potter's clay in simple and original forms. It is presumed that the armed warrior was installed to protect the building from being destroyed during the typhoon season.