October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix NowOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
ThatPainter
Caishen

Who Is the God of Wealth? Meet Caishen and His Many Forms

Caishen is the Chinese God of Wealth, but not one single figure. Explore the civil and martial forms, Zhao Gongming’s imagery, and New Year customs.

By ThatPainter Team 3 min read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More

The Chinese God of Wealth is commonly called Caishen (財神), a deity associated with prosperity and especially visible in Lunar New Year customs. Caishen is not one fixed figure: traditions identify several civil and martial forms, so the name and appearance can vary by community and image.

Who is the God of Wealth?

Caishen is a Chinese deity associated with wealth and prosperity in Chinese folk religion, Taoism, and some Buddhist schools, according to the National Museum of Finland. The name is often used for a group of related figures rather than a single universally agreed biography or portrait.

Visit Beijing’s 2013 overview describes civil and martial forms, including Bi Gan and Fan Li among civil figures, and Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu among martial ones. It also mentions Caibo Xingjun and a Five Directions group. These labels reflect traditions and classifications; they should not be taken as a universal list followed everywhere.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Are Caishen and Zhao Gongming the same figure?

Not exactly. Zhao Gongming is one of the figures associated with Caishen and is a well-known martial form, but Caishen can refer to other figures too. Bi Gan and Fan Li are named as civil forms in some accounts, while Guan Yu also appears as a martial wealth deity. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s early 20th-century woodblock print identifies Zhao Gongming specifically, rather than representing every form of Caishen.

#1 Best Overall
Resin Cai Shen Statue & Figure, Caishen, Feng Shui Decor & Gifts for Home
  • 1.✅ 【God of Wealth】 --- Cai shen is the god of wealth from the east. It is said that he can bring you good luck, make your wealth more and more, make your business better and better. 🎁
  • 2.✅ 【Feng Shui Gift】 --- Pure handmade from natural resin. All painted by hand. Caishen right hand is gold ingot, symbolizes great wealth. 💰 Cai shen left hand is jade Ruyi, symbolizes that all things will succeed. A chinese dragon on caishen chest, symbolized that your wealth will be protected by righteousness. 🎁
  • 3.✅ 【Ancestors of Businessmen】 --- Legend has it that caishen is the ancestor of all businessmen and is the first person to engage in commercial trade. 💰 He was once the head of an ancient tribe called Shang. Shang originally meant commercial trade. This about was 3,800 years ago. 🎁
  • 4.✅ 【God of Fortune】 --- Legend has it that there are nine kinds of tsai shen yeh, and they live in nine different directions. Our god of wealth is the central caishen. 💰 It is the oldest and most popular god of wealth. Our cai shen statue has been opening-of-light, only consecrated caishen statue can bring you good luck and wealth. 🎁
  • 5.✅ 【Feng Shui Decor】--- Perfect cai shen sculpture as a feng shui statue, feng shui decor, feng shui gifts, chinese gift, chinese new year gifts, opening ceremony gift, housewarming gift. 🔮 Great cai shen figurines to display on indoor, bedroom, living room, office, gardens, table, bookshelf, front desk, checkstand, shops, massage parlor, bar, chinese restaurant, barbershop, clothing store, nail salon. 💚 Perfect with guan gong, money frog, pi xiu, feng shui coins, maneki neko lucky cat, golden treasure basin, ingot yuan bao, feng shui citrine, money tree, crystal ball. 🎁

What does Caishen look like?

There is no single standard appearance. Visit Beijing’s overview contrasts civil figures in official dress with martial figures in armor. Attributes in a particular artwork can help identify the figure, but one image should not be treated as a template for the whole tradition.

Zhao Gongming in a woodblock print

The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes an early 20th-century Chinese polychrome woodblock print showing Zhao Gongming riding a tiger. He holds a gold ingot in his left hand and a gnarled cudgel in his right. The Met’s collection description calls the ingot a symbol of wealth and the cudgel his signature weapon. These details identify this depiction, not every Caishen image.

Rank #2
Dinaauto Chinese Feng Shui God of Wealth Statue, Golden Buddha Figurine, Home Decor and Business Gift (God of Wealth)
  • TRADITIONAL DESIGN: Intricately detailed golden figurine depicting the God of Wealth in traditional seated pose with ornate crown and royal attire
  • SYMBOLISM: Represents prosperity and abundance with its cornucopia-inspired design, perfect for attracting wealth and good fortune
  • VERSATILE PLACEMENT: Ideal for living room display, office desk, or as an elegant centerpiece for home or business settings
  • DECORATIVE DETAILS: Features elaborate scrollwork, floral patterns, and symbolic elements crafted in a lustrous golden finish
  • GIFT-WORTHY: Makes an auspicious presentation for business openings, housewarmings, or special occasions

A tentatively identified porcelain figure

The Met catalogs a Chinese porcelain figure from the late 17th to early 18th century as “possibly” the God of Wealth in his military aspect. The figure is 57.8 cm high. The museum’s tentative wording matters: the object is evidence of one historical representation, not a certain identification or proof of a single origin story.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

When do people welcome the God of Wealth?

Lunar New Year is a prominent season for Caishen customs. The National Museum of Finland describes welcoming the deity around the turn of the year and mentions images, incense, and firecrackers, as well as temple incense on the fifth day of the year. Memor Museum’s 2025 exhibition page also discusses invoking Caishen during Lunar New Year. These are customary examples; dates and observances vary by region and community.

Rank #3
ART PARK CAI Shen Statue, Caishen, Wencaishen, God of Fortune, God of Wealth, Zhao CAI, Feng Shui Decor, Feng Shui Gift, Chinese New Year Gift (Gold 12 Inches)
  • 1.✅ 【God of Wealth】 --- Cai shen is the god of wealth from the east. It is said that he can bring you good luck, make your wealth more and more, make your business better and better. 🎁
  • 2.✅ 【Feng Shui Gift】 --- Pure handmade from natural resin. All painted by hand. Caishen right hand is gold ingot, symbolizes great wealth. 💰 Cai shen left hand is jade Ruyi, symbolizes that all things will succeed. A chinese dragon on caishen chest, symbolized that your wealth will be protected by righteousness. 🎁
  • 3.✅ 【Ancestors of Businessmen】 --- Legend has it that caishen is the ancestor of all businessmen and is the first person to engage in commercial trade. 💰 He was once the head of an ancient tribe called Shang. Shang originally meant commercial trade. This about was 3,800 years ago. 🎁
  • 4.✅ 【God of Fortune】 --- Legend has it that there are nine kinds of tsai shen yeh, and they live in nine different directions. Our god of wealth is the central caishen. 💰 It is the oldest and most popular god of wealth. Our cai shen statue has been opening-of-light, only consecrated caishen statue can bring you good luck and wealth. 🎁
  • 5.✅ 【Feng Shui Decor】--- Perfect cai shen sculpture as a feng shui statue, feng shui decor, feng shui gifts, chinese gift, chinese new year gifts, opening ceremony gift, housewarming gift. 🔮 Great cai shen figurines to display on indoor, bedroom, living room, office, gardens, table, bookshelf, front desk, checkstand, shops, massage parlor, bar, chinese restaurant, barbershop, clothing store, nail salon. 💚 Perfect with guan gong, money frog, pi xiu, feng shui coins, maneki neko lucky cat, golden treasure basin, ingot yuan bao, feng shui citrine, money tree, crystal ball. 🎁
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Does Caishen have one historical origin?

The sources do not establish one uncontested historical person as the origin of every God of Wealth tradition. The Met describes its porcelain figure as possibly deriving from a historical person, while Visit Beijing and Memor Museum present multiple associated figures and forms. It is more accurate to describe Caishen as a layered religious and folk tradition than to assign all versions a single settled biography.

Best Value
SlowVibes Bling God of Wealth Caishen Statue for Feng Shui
  • ATTRACT ABUNDANCE – Authentic Feng Shui design channels positive chi to activate wealth corners, boost career luck, and invite financial opportunities into your life.Gently shake this interactive Caishen and his head springs to life, nodding approval as if blessing every money decision you make.
  • MASTER CRAFTSMANSHIP – Hand-finished by skilled artisans using premium resin materials,hand-inlaid with high quality rhinestones, blends 3,000-year-old Chinese tradition with sleek contemporary aesthetics.
  • VERSATILE PLACEMENT – Ideal for home entryway, living room wealth corner, office desk, or business reception area and car,Hand-set premium rhinestones catch and refract light, symbolizing how money and opportunities flow toward radiant, high-vibe energy.
  • Multi-Purpose Lucky Statue: Substantial presence without overwhelming your space; fits standard shelves, desks, and altars.Perfect as tea table decor, office poster accent, or god of wealth display and car decoration accessories - this versatile piece brings Feng Shui modern energy to every corner of your life.
  • MEANINGFUL GIFT – Powerful housewarming, business opening, or New Year present for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone seeking prosperity.Nice gift that wish our loved ones wealth, success, and good luck for a prosperous future.
Rank #4
Golden CaiShen Statue, CAI Shen, God of Fortune, God of Wealth, Lucky and Wealthy Statue, Feng Shui Decor, Feng Shui Gift, 1 Pair (2 Statues) (7 Inches)
  • Caishen is the god of wealth from the east. It is said that he can bring you good luck, make you wealthier, make your business grow and prosper. Natural resin.
  • Caishen is the symbolism of wealth, happiness, luck, and prosperity. It will work wonderfully for your home or office.
  • Perfect decoration displaying at home, in a shop, or in the office. Also it is a feng sui good gift, an opening gift, or a personal collection
  • Easy to Clean: Gently whisk the surface of resin with a soft cloth if it need clean.
  • From a scientific point of view, if you believe in Cai Shen, it will bring you positive psychological incentives and contribute to many success of business.

How to identify a God of Wealth image

  1. Start with the object’s own label. A museum catalog may identify a named figure such as Zhao Gongming, or may qualify an identification, as the Met does for its porcelain figure.
  2. Look at the presentation. Official dress may suggest a civil form, while armor may suggest a martial one, though local depictions can differ.
  3. Notice distinctive attributes. A tiger, ingot, or cudgel appears in the Met’s Zhao Gongming print; those details support that particular identification, not a universal rule.
  4. Keep the context attached. Date, medium, and source description help distinguish one artwork or local tradition from Caishen as a broader category.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

More from the Paint Desk

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.