Gods of Mount Tai

A novel approach to studying Chinese gods and sacred sites reveals how the Lady of Mount Tai, North China's preeminent female deity, emerged as a flexibly gendered figure while her male predecessor faded. Susan Naquin's work, blending art history with religious scholarship, uncovers overlooked visual representations—statues, prints, murals, and paintings—from museums, auctions, and fieldwork to demonstrate the deity's enduring cultural significance despite historical neglect. This generously illustrated study highlights Mount Tai's resilience as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and China's most visited tourist destination, offering fresh insights into the materiality of regional worship practices.

NAQUIN, S. (2022). Gods of Mount Tai. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004516410