Xiaotian Quan

Xiaotian Quan (Chinese: 哮天犬 or 嘯天犬; pinyin: Xiàotiān Quǎn; lit. 'Howling/Barking Celestial Dog') is a Chinese mythological beast and companion of the Chinese god Erlang Shen. Depicted as a black dog, it assists Erlang Shen in battle by using its powerful bite and howl to attack, maul, or subdue demons. Xiaotian Quan appears in Journey to the West, Fengshen Yanyi, and other legends about Erlang Shen, such as Lotus Lantern and several Chinese folktales.^[1][2]

Xiaotian Quan

Relief of Erlang Shen and Xiaotian Quan.
Creature information
Other name(s)	Xiàotiān Quǎn, 哮天犬, or 嘯天犬
Origin
Known for	attacking demons, protecting pet health
Country	China

A shadow puppet depicting Xiaotian Quan and his lord Erlang Shen.

Legends

Xiaotian Quan appears in many folkloric and cultural works. The dog first appeared in Gan Bao's In Search of the Supernatural.^[3] It prevents Liu Chenxiang from splitting Mount Hua to rescue his mother Huayue Sanniang in the Chinese folktale of Lotus Lantern.^[4] Yang Jian, assumed to be Erlang, sometimes sends his dog to bite his enemies in the novel Investiture of the Gods.^[5][6] In the novel Journey to the West, Xiaotian Quan helps fight Sun Wukong and later the Nine-Headed Prince Consort (九頭駙馬).^[7] Xiaotian Quan features in legends about lunar and solar eclipses.^[8][9] He is also a character featured in Peking Opera.^[10] Some claims connect the Tibetan Mastiff to Xiaotian Quan.^[9] According to Chinese historian Zhang Zhenglang's research, the prototype of Xiaotian Quan is the divine rat who assisted Dujian, the second son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaishravana. Dujian is identified with Erlang Shen by a later Buddhist source.^[11]

Worship

Many temples dedicated to Erlang Shen to also enshrine Xiaotian Quan and in modern times it is suggested that people with sick pets pray to it.^[12] In a temple in Malaysia, the statue of Xiaotian Quan closely resembles that of a German shepherd, which caused people to make jokes.^[13]

The Yang Qiaotou Hall Temple in Haichang, Penang Island, is the only temple dedicated to Xiaotian Quan as a main deity.^[14]

The Yingyuan Temple in Taiwan enshrines a statue of Xiaotian Quan under the title "General Tiangu".^[15]

In popular culture

The Song and Jin dynasties coins depict Xiaotian Quana, alongside his lord Erlang Shen.^[16]

Proverb

Xiaotian Quan is the origin of a Chinese proverb called "狗咬呂洞賓——不識好人心" ("A dog bites Lü Dongbin—to fail to see the heart of a good person; to bite the hand that feeds you").^[17]

Film and TV series

• Portrayed by Chen Chuang [zh] in 2009 Chinese series Prelude of Lotus Lantern^[18]