page_title: Xuanwu (god)
section_title: Stories
hierarchical_section_title: Xuanwu (god) / Stories
context_page_description: Xuanwu or Xuandi, also known as Zhenwu or Zhenwudadi, is a deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magic. He is identified as the god of the north Heidi and is particularly revered by martial artists. He is the patron god of Hebei, Henan, Manchuria and Mongolia. As some Han Chinese migrated into the south from Hebei and Henan during the Tang-Song era, Xuanwu is also widely revered in the Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces, as well as among the overseas diaspora.
  Since the usurping Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty claimed the help of Xuanwu during his successful Jingnan Campaign against his nephew, he had Taoist monasteries constructed in the Wudang Mountains of Hubei, where Xuanwu allegedly attained immortality.
caption: A painting of Xuanwu, Ming dynasty, housed in the Freer Gallery of Art
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