Saoqing Niang

Saoqing Niang is a weather deity in Chinese folk religion associated with fair weather. She is traditionally represented as a paper effigy of a woman wearing colorful clothing and holding a broom. The custom is documented in northern China and has been described as a form of folk weather magic. Some accounts have linked the custom to the origin of Japan's teru teru bōzu tradition.

Legends

An early reference to the custom appears in a Yuan dynasty poem by Li Junmin, which describes a paper image of a woman hung from the eaves to pray for an end to rain. The practice was later recorded in northern China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, including in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong.

The custom is also described in Qing dynasty scholar Fucha Duncong's Seasonal Records of Yanjing (, Yanjing Suishiji), which states:

A legend associated with Saoqing Niang is set in ancient Beijing. According to the story, heavy rain caused severe flooding in the city. A voice from heaven announced that the rain was caused by the anger of the Dragon King of the East Sea and that it would stop only if a beautiful young woman was offered as a sacrifice. A young woman named Qingniang, known for her beauty and skill in paper-cutting, offered herself as the sacrifice. She went out into the storm and disappeared, with different versions of the story saying that she was either carried away by the flood or taken by the dragon. The rain stopped after Qingniang's sacrifice, and the city was saved. According to the legend, the Jade Emperor then deified her as Saoqing Niang and gave her the role of clearing the rain clouds. People later made paper figures of her and hung them up to pray for clear weather.

In some regions, a figure associated with Saoqing Niang is called Saotian Niangniang (, "Sky-Sweeping Goddess"). The title Niangniang, commonly used for female deities, and her depiction in yellow robes are also associated with this figure.

Customs The tradition of hanging Saoqing Niang dolls is a folk custom rooted in agrarian Chinese society, where weather conditions were important to people's livelihoods. The dolls were typically hung from rooftops, eaves, or poles during prolonged periods of rain or before important outdoor events such as weddings, festivals, and harvests, with the hope of bringing clear weather. Children and villagers may chant rhymes to accompany the ritual, such as

The Japanese Teru teru bōzu (; 'shiny-shiny monk') is widely believed to be a tradition that originated from the Saoqing Niang custom. The practice was likely introduced to Japan from China during the Heian period (794–1185).