Nezha (哪吒) is a Taoist deity whose life story was recorded in the Ming dynasty work “Creations of the Gods” (封神榜) and 'Journey to the West' (西游记). His is known as the Central Marshal (中坛元帅) in the Taoist pantheon and also Third Lotus Price by his devotees (莲花三太子).Nezha’s birthday is celebrated on 8th day of the Forth lunar month ( 四月初八日).

  1. Nezha has frequently appeared in Chinese mythology and ancient Chinese literature such as Fengshen Yanyi (or Investiture of the Gods), although the story of Nezha Conquering the Sea is the most well known among Chinese households. In Journey to the West, Nezha was a general under his father, 'Pagoda-wielding Heavenly King' Li Jing.
  2. The Legend of Nezha narrative The story of Natra, the heavenly boy who was born bare, very mischievous, but the temperament, the mentality of goodness, always towards the righteous. With powerful martial arts and magic, he tried to save the evil to bring peaceful life for people in the time of raging love. Plot Summary Add Synopsis.
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Birth of Nezha

Born in the Shang dynasty, his mother Lady Yin (殷氏) was pregnant with Nezha for three years before giving birth to a ball of flesh. His father, Li Jing (李靖) the Shang army commander at Cheng Tang slashed it apart to find a young child who was already about to walk and talk.

The Legend of Nezha narrative The story of Natra, the heavenly boy who was born bare, very mischievous, but the temperament, the mentality of goodness, always towards the righteous. With powerful martial arts and magic, he tried to save the evil to bring peaceful life for people in the time of raging love.

That dramatic first interaction between father and son seemed to have strained their relationship but luckily for Nezha, a celestial being (太乙真人) arrived and accepted his as a disciple.

Nezha was the youngest in the family having two elder brothers Jin Zha (金咤) and Muzha (木咤).

Battle with the Dragon Kings

When Nezha was a child he already processed incredible powers. Once when he bathed at sea, his movement generated strong currents greatly disturbing the East Ocean Dragon's palace.

The dragon king's third son was dispatched to check the source of turbulence but ended in a fight with Nezha who eventually killed him.

The grieving East Ocean Dragon King rallied the other Three Dragon Kings to seek Li Jing for revenge. Nezha not wanting to create more problems for his family committed suicide.

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Nezha's death

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After his death, Nezha's mother built a temple in his memory and it became very popular with people. However when Li Jing discovered the temple, he destroyed it.
Li Jing's destruction of the temple angered Nezha who by now had been resurrected by his teacher using lotus roots and given two treasures the fire wheel and fire spear.

In his anger Nezha attacked his father and the two battled until two celestial beings intervened and helped the father and son reconcile.

Creation of God, Journey to the West

As the Shang rule became increasing corrupt, Nezha along with his father and brothers assisted King Wu to establish the Zhou dynasty. This adventure was recorded in the novel “Creation of the Gods” In “Journey to the West”, Nezha was sent by the jade emperor to subdue the Monkey God but failed to stop his terror in the Celestial Court.

Nezha in the Taoist patheon

Nezha is a well-known and popular Taoist deity with temples dedicated to him. He is more commonly present in temple celebrations as the Central Marshal of the celestial army. He is also very popular with devotees as Nezha, Third Lotus Prince.

His spirit medium can manifest in various forms and the temple will dress him in appropriate attire; childlike clothes, with lotus designs for the Third Lotus Price manifest and martial wear as the Central Marshal.

Nezha's story has inspired various cartoons and TV serials all with great success.

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Like all boys, Ne Zha was born from his mother's womb. That, however, is where Nezha's similarity to most boys ends.
While not known to many in the West, for Chinese, Ne Zha has been a household name for centuries. He appears in everything from mythology to techno dances, popular movies to classical novels such as Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West.
According to legend, it all began 3,000-4,000 years ago, during the Shang Dynasty in northeastern China. A military commander, Li Jing, anxiously awaited the birth of his third child. And he was anxious for good reason—his wife’s pregnancy had lasted three years and six months.
The night before going into labor, his wife, Lady Yin, dreamt she saw a Daoist immortal sweeping his magical whisk across her belly. He asked her to accept the child being conferred upon her, and to call him “Ne Zha.”
The next day, Lady Yin gave birth to a large, round ball of flesh—basically a meatball. Shocked and disappointed, her husband suspected the anomaly to be demonic and drew his sword. He proceeded to strike the fleshy mass, piecing the surface and revealing, to his amazement, a grown, vivacious child—Ne Zha.
Shortly after, a Daoist immortal arrived and offered to take the boy as his disciple. Both parents consented, with the Daoist then bestowing Ne Zha with a magic instrument—the Cosmic Wheel (qian kun lun).
Ne Zha Enrages an Evil Dragon
The extent of Ne Zha’s extraordinary powers would soon be revealed. One hot day, Ne Zha, eager to cool off, went bathing in a nearby sea. Still unaware of the power that his magical instrument possessed, he took his Cosmic Wheel—the shape of a medium hula-hoop but heavier than any mortal could lift—and swished it around, only to end up causing massive tremors deep in the water below.
The tremors caused by Ne Zha shook the underwater palace of the Dragon King of the East Sea. The enraged Dragon King ordered one of his scouts to find out who or what was causing the chaos.

The Legend Of Nezha 2019

Upon discovering Ne Zha, a mere boy, to be the culprit of the seaside antics, the scout expected to kill him with ease. With one blow of his Cosmic Wheel, though, Ne Zha killed the scout. Learning of this, the Dragon King sent his favorite son to deal with Ne Zha. Ne Zha killed him as well.
Overcome with rage, the Dragon King vowed to report Ne Zha’s crimes to the Jade Emperor—supreme ruler of the heavens and mortal realms. Ne Zha, however, dashed to the gates of the Jade Emperor’s palace and arrived there before the Dragon King. Using invisibility charms, he caught the Dragon King by surprise and served him a round of blows before he could see the Jade Emperor.

The Legend Of Nezha Book

Perhaps what has made Ne Zha so endearing, his unlikely powers aside, is the ebullient, playful persona of this age-defying folk hero. Ultimately Ne Zha, and figures like him, invite us to partake in a world of wonder, a world where the horizons of human possibility are stretched, always for the better.

The Legend Of Nezha Episode 1

February 19, 2014