The God of Wisdom (Wen Shu Pusa)

Wen Shu is one of the five great contemplative Bodhisattva and one of the twelve divine Buddhist teachers. Full of kindness and the personification of knowledge and thought, he is prayed to by monks and scholars to dispel their ignorance. He also solves difficult religious questions. He is usually shown sitting on a lion.

Wenshu Monastery is popular and busy and visitors enjoy the lively atmosphere around the monastery where worshippers buy incense, paper money and items to burn as offerings. Fortune-tellers and firework stalls all add to the lively atmosphere at this well-preserved temple.

This bodhisattva is most often associated with wisdom, specifically the wisdom of the Buddha. He is represented wearing a crown, robes and princely jewelry and sometimes is portrayed as a young boy with his hair tied in several chignons (usually five). He holds a sword in his right hand to cut through ignorance and a lotus in his left hand, representing the knowledge of the Buddha. Often he rides a white lion whose roar symbolizes the voice of the Buddhist Law.