Meet Tu’er Shen: The Chinese Rabbit God Who Blesses Same-Sex Love A Pride Month reflection with Nai Mu from Ticy City’s “God’s City” series

This Pride Month, we’re diving into a tale you probably didn’t learn in school—a story that’s been whispered through time, lost, banned, and finally reborn in modern Taiwan. Nai Mu, our resident spiritual storyteller at God’s City (Ticy City), brings us a powerful piece of queer spiritual history: the legend of Tu’er Shen—the Rabbit God who watches over men who love men.

You read that right. In Chinese folk religion, there’s a deity whose sole divine duty is to protect and bless same-sex male love. But his journey to godhood began not in the heavens, but on Earth—with heartbreak, shame, and ultimately, justice.

The Tale of Hu Tianbao

Let’s rewind to Qing Dynasty China, where a modest young man named Hu Tianbao found himself completely smitten with a local official. It wasn’t just a passing crush. Hu followed him everywhere—silently admiring his strength, his looks, his grace. You could say he was the original fanboy, centuries before K-pop stans and Instagram hearts.

One evening, unable to resist, Hu peeked at the man while he was bathing. It was a moment of pure longing—but when the official noticed, the fantasy shattered. Caught and interrogated, Hu confessed not only to watching but also to his feelings. His romantic declaration wasn’t met with compassion—it was seen as scandalous, perverse, and a threat to moral order. The punishment was brutal: the young man was beaten to death.

Judgment in the Afterlife

But here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn. When Hu’s spirit entered the underworld, the Lord of the Dead didn’t see his love as a sin. In fact, he saw the tragedy of a man punished not for harm, but for love. And with that, he granted Hu divine status—as Tu’er Shen, the Rabbit God, protector of those whose love defies societal norms.

There was one condition: Hu’s spirit needed a place to be worshipped on Earth. So, legend has it, he appeared in a dream to a close friend (likely a woman) and asked her to build him a shrine. That was how the first Rabbit God shrine came to be in Fujian Province.

But not everyone embraced this queer divinity. In 1765, a government official ordered the shrine destroyed, calling it immoral and dangerous. The Rabbit God was erased from China’s spiritual map—until he re-emerged centuries later in a very different place.

A Shrine Reborn in Modern Taiwan

Fast forward to 2006. A Taoist priest named Lu Wei-ming founded Tu’er Miao in Yonghe, Taipei. It was a bold and beautiful act. Not only did he restore a lost deity—he created a sacred space for the LGBTQIA+ community. At this shrine, you can pray for romantic blessings, perform commitment rituals, and even have a same-sex wedding ceremony blessed by the Rabbit God himself.

In a region where queer representation is often censored (just look at how Chinese BL dramas get edited or banned), Taiwan stands out as a beacon of acceptance—and Tu’er Shen is proof that even deities evolve with the times.

Why a Rabbit?

In Chinese culture, rabbits symbolize agility, abundance, and long life. They’re also tied to the Moon Goddess Chang’e, who’s often shown cradling a rabbit. And in Beijing folklore, the Lord Rabbit represents peace and protection. So, it’s only fitting that a symbol so deeply woven into Chinese tradition would also become a guardian of queer love.

The Bigger Picture

What makes Tu’er Shen so powerful isn’t just that he exists—it’s that his story survived. It’s that in a time and place where same-sex love was dangerous, someone remembered, someone believed, and someone built him a home.

That home still stands today in Taipei, where worshippers come not just for blessings, but for belonging.Want to visit Tu’er Shen’s shrine in Taipei?Head to Tu’er Miao in Yonghe District. Whether you’re there for prayer, curiosity, or community, this little temple tells a big story: that love—no matter how it looks—is sacred.

Story by Nai Mu#TuErShen #RabbitGod #QueerDeities #LGBTQSpirituality #TaiwanShrine #HuTianbao #ChineseMythology #PrideMonth #TicyCity