玉皇大帝 (Yùhuáng Dàdì) · Jade Emperor

Meanings

1 Jade Emperor
2 supreme ruler of heaven in Chinese mythology

About Jade Emperor

Ruler of heaven in Chinese folk religion and Taoism, presiding over a heavenly court run like an imperial government. In 西游记 he is the emperor whose palace 孙悟空 wrecks.

Also called 玉帝、玉皇

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

孙悟空大闹天宫，连玉皇大帝都怕他。

Sūn Wùkōng dà nào tiāngōng, lián Yùhuáng Dàdì dōu pà tā.

When Sun Wukong wrecked the Heavenly Palace, even the Jade Emperor feared him.

HSK 7-9

玉皇大帝是天庭的最高统治者。

Yùhuáng Dàdì shì tiāntíng de zuìgāo tǒngzhìzhě.

The Jade Emperor is the supreme ruler of the heavenly court.

Tips

culture

Hokkien speakers call him 天公 'Lord of Heaven', so his birthday on the 9th day of the first lunar month is 天公生. In Malaysia and Singapore it is big enough to be called 'Hokkien New Year', and sugarcane is among the offerings.

In Pop Culture

玉皇大帝 Yùhuáng dàdì

Jade Emperor

Chief deity of the Taoist heavens and the bureaucratic pantheon that developed around it. Oversees the Heavenly Court (天庭), a mirror of the imperial bureaucracy, with subordinates like 王母娘娘 (Queen Mother of the West), 太白金星, and the 四大天王. Plays a central role in 《西游记》, where Sun Wukong's rebellion is directed at his court.