Fengshen

Fengshen, in Chinese literature, commonly refers to the novel Fengshen Yanyi, also known as Investiture of the Gods. It is a late Ming dynasty Chinese classical work that blends myth, folklore, and history to recount the fall of the Shang dynasty and the rise of the Zhou, framed by a celestial bureaucracy that will appoint deities to preside over the cosmos. Traditional attribution credits Xu Zhonglin as the author, though scholars note later revisions and contributions by other writers, and the work exists in multiple editions and variants.

Plot centers on the waning authority of King Zhou of Shang and the strategies of Jiang Ziya, a legendary minister acting on a mandate from Heaven. Immortals, demons, and heroic figures—such as Nezha, Yang Jian, and Daji—interact across a world of mortals and spirits. The central mechanism is the investiture ceremony, whereby meritorious figures are ordained as gods in the Fengshen Pantheon after their deeds seal their divine destinies. The novel weaves battles, prophecies, and moral trials to justify the enthronement of countless immortals and the creation of the official list of gods, the Fengshen Bang.

The work has exerted wide influence on Chinese popular culture, inspiring opera, film, television, and modern fantasy. It helped popularize the idea of deification in Chinese folk religion and introduced enduring characters who recur in later works and religious practice.