Malaysia / China: Carving of King Zhou of Shang, depicting his role in the 16th Century Ming Dynasty novel Fengshen Yanyi ('Investiture of the Gods'). From Ping Sien Si Temple, Pasir Panjang Laut

Originally known as Di Xin, and sometimes Zhou Xin, King Zhou of Shang is the legendary last king of the Shang Dynasty of ancient China. His story and fall is famously told in the Ming Dynasty classic novel 'Fengshen Yanyi'. It is said that in his early reign, he was intelligent enough to win all arguments, and strong enough to hunt wild beast barehanded.

His corruption and degradation begins with his bewitchment by his wicked wife Su Daji. Daji was supposedly possessed by a vixen spirit sent by the angry goddess Nuwa to punish King Zhou for having written obscene poems on the walls of her temple and lusting after her. He became cruel and decadent, giving himself over constantly to drinking and women, and often tortured others to amuse himself and his possessed wife, inventing new and painful methods of death and torture.

The people eventually rose up against King Zhou, led by the famous nobleman and sage Jiang Ziya. The Shang Dynasty was defeated and overthrown in 1046 BCE, and in response King Zhou gathered all his treasures around himself in the palace, which he subsequently set on fire and committed suicide. According to folklore, King Zhou begged for mercy from the gods after his death, and they deified him as a god of sodomy, creating the post specially for him.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

Anandajoti

Credit:

Pictures From History