In the past, each Chinese household hosted numerous gods, such as the stove god, door gods, the property god, the wellness god, etc. To keep ghosts and monsters at bay, prints of such door gods were pasted on front doors.

The custom of pasting prints of door gods was common almost everywhere in China during the Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival ) to ensure safety for the family. Nowadays, some places in rural China still subscribe to the custom. In recent years, more and more scholars have intensified their research and study of the Chinese door god culture, making people increasingly aware of its significance.

 Origin of door gods

After the stove god, perhaps the best-known household deities were the ubiquitous door gods. Like the stove god, door gods had certain universality in terms of use and representation, but unlike the denizen of the kitchen, door gods were more likely to be connected to a legend from classical Chinese texts. One of the most common beliefs was taken from the first century BC Shanhaijing ("Classic of the Mountains and Seas"), which notes that the door gods Shentu and Yulei originated as guardians of the celestial peaches.

In the vast ocean lay the land of Tusu, with a large peach tree, whose foliage extended over 3,000 miles. The northeastern side of its branches made up the Gate of Specters, where a myriad of specters passed. On the land were two divine men, Shentu and Yulei, who directed the examination and management of the host of specters. Evil specters were fettered with reeds to be used as food for tigers . The Yellow Emperor then instituted a ceremony to drive off specters during particular seasons: He set up large images of peach wood painted by Shentu and Yulei on gates and doors, and, with a tiger, suspended there reeds to repulse them.