Religion:Xianhe Tongzi

Short description: Character in Fengshen Yanyi

Xianhe Tongzi

Xianhe Tongzi, also known as Baihe Tongzi (Chinese: 白鶴童子; pinyin: Báihè Tóngzǐ; literally: 'White Crane Boy'), is a character in the Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi). He serves Yuanshi Tianzun as an attendant and messenger and is associated with the Chanjiao in the novel.

In Fengshen Yanyi

Baihe Tongzi first appears in chapter 15, when Yuanshi Tianzun orders him to summon Jiang Ziya from the Peach Garden. He addresses Jiang Ziya as his martial uncle (師叔).

Baihe Tongzi is able to transform into a white crane. When Shen Gongbao uses a magical technique to remove his own head from his body, Nanji Xianweng orders Baihe Tongzi to take the form of a crane and carry Shen Gongbao's head away. He later returns the head after Jiang Ziya asks Nanji Xianweng to spare Shen Gongbao.

During the battle of the Red Sand Formation, Baihe Tongzi accompanies Nanji Xianweng into the formation. He uses a Three-Treasure Jade Ruyi (三寶玉如意) to strike Zhang Shao, one of the formation's masters, and then kills him with a sword.

Later in the novel, Baihe Tongzi continues to serve Yuanshi Tianzun. In the aftermath of the battle of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, Yuanshi orders him to help capture Shen Gongbao, who is attempting to flee.

In later traditions

Baihe Tongzi appears in Taiwanese religious traditions as an attendant of Nanji Xianweng and a guardian associated with Kunlun Mountain. Some local traditions connect him with the Legend of the White Snake. In these versions, Bai Suzhen travels to Kunlun Mountain to obtain lingzhi to revive Xu Xian. Baihe Tongzi attempts to stop her from taking the herb, but Nanji Xianweng intervenes and gives her the lingzhi.

Baihe Tongzi is also represented in Taiwanese religious art as a divine figure. A wooden statue in the collection of the National Taiwan Museum of History depicts him as a seated boy wearing a Daoist robe and holding a white whisk. The museum's description identifies him as a guardian attendant of Nanji Xianweng and records the tradition that his original form was a white crane.

In southern Taiwan, Baihe Tongzi is also associated with the Baihe Zhen (白鶴陣), a traditional procession and martial performance. The Seven Shares Bao'an Temple's Baihe Zhen, established in 1928, venerates Baihe Tongzi and Baihe Xianshi as its guardian deities and incorporates a white-crane figure into its performances.

Worship

Xianhe Tongzi is enshrined in some temples in Taiwan. He is associated in some local traditions with granting longevity and protecting against harmful forces. The White Crane Boy Temple in Taichung, considered his primary temple, has been under construction but was abandoned for eight years. Over time, the site became a haven for criminals, including murderers. The local government has since initiated plans to rebuild and restore the temple.