Pictures of Wu Fu Da Di (止瘟之神五福大帝)

Wu Fu Da Di (五福大帝) aka Wu Fu Ling Gong (五福靈公), according to records, they were scholars from Hokkien Province, Fu Zhou City (原為福建省福州市應考秀才).

The real names of these 5 Deities were, Zhang Yuan Bo (張元伯), Zhong Shi Xiu (鍾士秀), Liu Yuan Da (劉元達), Shi Wen Ye (史文業) and Zhao Hong Ming (趙鴻明).

One year, while they were on the way to the Capital to join in the Imperial Examination, the 5 of them passed by a village. Upon stepping in the village, the 5 of them saw 5 dark figures pouring some powder form material into the 5 main wells in the village.

With horror, the 5 of them dashed towards each well, trying to capture the dark figures. While they reached the well, the 5 dark figures vanished in front of them, leaving the packets that contained the powder dropping on the floor.

Zhang Yuan Bo, the eldest of the 5, picked up the packet and realized that, it was the Plague Disease (瘟疫). Without consideration, he advised the other 4 scholars to seal the well up. But how they tried to block the well, the objects that covered the well were being moved away by a gust of strong wind.

Without any choices, Zhang Yuan Bo sacrificed himself by jumping into the well. The other 4 scholars were shocked but in-order to save the villagers, the 4 scholars jumped into the well too.

After the 5 of them jumped into the wells, the water from the wells shot out and soon, the water was being purified.

At the moment of the water being purified, the 5 scholars were being summoned to the Celestial Palace (天庭) to meet up with Jade Emperor (玉皇大天尊). After knowing their uprightness and braveness, Jade Emperor bestowed them as the Deities that ceased the Plague & other communicate diseases (止瘟之神).

From then, folks dedicate Temples and Altars for them as a form of gratitude, especially those in Hokkien Province.

How the 5 Deities got the title Wu Fu Da Di?

According to the records in Hokkien Province, due to the 5 of them were from Fu Zhou City, after they got the Enlightenment, the folks addressed them as Wu Fu Da Di as a form of respect and gratitude. This was how the 5 Deities got the title of Wu Fu.

Are they Wu Xian Da Di (五顯大帝)?

Due to the mis-conceptions and some other mix-&-match information, Wu Fu Da Di was also being addressed as Wu Xian Da Di, which Wu Xian Da Di was the Official title of Hua Guang Ma Yuan Shuai (華光馬元帥).

This was why, till today, a lot of folks mistaken Hua Guang as one of the Plague Deities.