Bixia Yuanjun

Name and title The name Bixia Yuanjun has been rendered variously in English-language sources (‛Sovereign of the Clouds of Dawn', She purportedly governs human life-span, judges the dead, and heeds the pleas for children in need, especially male children (thus being capable of causing a male offspring to be born to a household). Bixia Yuanjun has become conflated with various matron goddesses, and she became northern China's equivalent to the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokitesvara), whose cult was powerful in central and southern China. Depiction Her iconography is typified by her wearing a three-phoenix (or more) headdress. ==Legends==

There are many legends of Bixia Yuanjun. She is a composite representation of multiple historical personalities. There are versions which depict her as a daughter of Dongyue Dadi (Grand Emperor of Mount Tai), the main deity of Mount Tai and Lord of the underworld, As the goddess of dawn, she attends the birth of each new day from her home high in the clouds. As the goddess of childbirth, she attends the birth of children, fixing their destiny and bringing good fortune. Bixia Yuanjin is venerated in the Temple of the Purple Dawn at the summit of the holy mountain, Mount Tai, where women wishing to conceive come to ask for her help. ==Temples==

The Palace of the Clouds of Dawn (Bixia Gong), a shrine to the goddess, was built at the top of Mount Tai during the Ming dynasty and is still a focus of pilgrimage worship. Her popularity is widespread today. Many cities in China have temples dedicated to Bixia Yuanjun. In Beijing, the Temple of the Eastern Peak (Dongyue Miao) contains a hall dedicated to the goddess, as does the White Cloud Monastery (Baiyun Guan). In Taoist painting and sculpture, she is often accompanied by nine other attendant goddesses, including the goddess of fertility Zhusheng Niangniang and the goddess of eyesight Yanguang Niangniang. ==Explanatory notes==