Zhong Kui

Zhong Kui
A Ming painting of Zhong Kui the Demon Queller with Five Bats, with the five bats representing the five blessings as well as the vase, red coral, and fungi—held by demons—that also contain auspicious symbolism
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	鍾馗
Simplified Chinese	钟馗
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōng Kuí Wade–Giles Chung K‘uei Chung Kwei
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Chung Quỳ
Chữ Hán	鍾馗
Korean name
Hangul	종규
Hanja	鍾馗
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Jong-gyu
Japanese name
Kanji	鍾馗
Transcriptions Romanization Shōki

Zhong Kui (Chinese: 鍾馗; pinyin: Zhōng Kuí; Korean: 종규, romanized: Jonggyu; Japanese: 鍾馗, romanized: Shōki; Vietnamese: Chung Quỳ) is a Taoist deity in Chinese mythology, traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. He is depicted as a large man with a big black beard, bulging eyes, and a wrathful expression. Zhong Kui is able to command 80,000 demons to do his bidding and is often associated with the five bats of fortune. Worship and iconography of Zhong Kui later spread to other East Asian countries, and he can also be found in the folklores and mythologies of Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

In art, Zhong Kui is a frequent subject in paintings and crafts, and his image is often painted on household gates as a guardian spirit as well as in places of business where high-value goods are involved. He is also commonly portrayed in popular media.