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Yudi
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Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
World Religions & Traditions
Quick Facts
Chinese:
Jade Emperor
Wade-Giles romanization:
Yü Ti
Also called:
Yuhuang (Jade August One)
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Yudi

Chinese deity
Also known as: Jade August One, Jade Emperor, Yü Ti, You Di, Yuhuang, Yuhuang Shangdi(Show More)
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Yudi, in Chinese religion, the most revered and popular of Chinese Daoist deities. In the official Daoist pantheon, he is an impassive sage-deity, but he is popularly viewed as a celestial sovereign who guides human affairs and rules an enormous heavenly bureaucracy analogous to the Chinese Empire.

The worship of Yudi was officially sanctioned by the Daoist emperors of the Song dynasty (960–1279 ce), who renamed him Yuhuang Shangdi (Jade August Supreme Lord) and accorded him a status equivalent to that of the Confucian supreme power. Yudi is usually depicted on a throne wearing the imperial dragon-embroidered robes and beaded bonnet, holding a jade ceremonial tablet.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon.