1.
An hour east of Beijing on the 930 bus,
you’ll find the most bizarre guesthouse,
The Tianzi Hotel ( 天子大酒店 ).
Well, if you thought it is a statue then you
are wrong! The Tianzi Hotel is a ten-story
high representation of Fu Lu Shou (good
fortune, prosperity and longevity) that
apparently holds the Guinness World
Record for the “biggest image building”.

2.
Shou, the most venerable, his name
means ‘Star of Long Life’. He is old and
bald, and always carries a Golden Peach
of Immortality from XI-WANGMU’s Holy
Peach Garden. These are found only in
Heaven and ripen once every three
thousand years

3.
The peach in the Shou's left
hand represents immortality
- but if you look a little bit
closer you'll see that it has
two little windows - because
it's actually a suite within
the hotel

4.
The Shou star is α Carinae (Canopus), the
star of the South Pole in Chinese astronomy,
and is believed to control the life spans of
mortals. According to legend, he was
carried in his mother's womb for ten years
before being born, and was already an old
man when delivered. He is recognized by
his high, domed forehead and the peach
which he carries as a symbol of
immortality. The God of Longevity is usually
shown smiling and friendly, and he may
sometimes be carrying a gourd filled with
Elixir of Life.

5.
Located in Hebei
province Tianzi Garden
Hotel - also known as
The Emperor Hotel and
Son of Heaven Hotel.
Built in 2000, the hotel
has ten stories and
stands at a height of
41.6m.

6.
The Lu star is Ursa Majoris, or, in traditional Chinese
astronomy, the sixth star in the Wenchang cluster, and
like the Fu star came to be personified. The Lu star is
believed to be Zhang Xian who lived during the Later Shu
dynasty.

7.
The word lu specifically refers to the salary of a
government official. As such, the Lu star is the star of
prosperity, rank, and influence.

8.
The Lu star was also
worshipped separately from
the other two as the deity
dictating one's success in the
Imperial Examinations, and
therefore success in the
imperial bureaucracy. The Lu
star is usually depicted in the
dress of a mandarin.
The Lu star is usually depicted in the dress of a mandarin.

9.
The Confucian system of study followed by examination and placement holds sway
in all Chinese-based cultures to this day, including Japan. It was certainly seen
as a key to the path of prosperity.

10.
Lu Xing was said to be the first star of the Big Dipper, an auspicious star blessing ancient
intellectuals with a position in the civil service. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Lu Xing
became another name for Scholar Star

11.
The Fu star refers to the planet Jupiter. In
traditional astrology, the planet Jupiter was
believed to be auspicious. Alternatively, according to
Taoist legend in Ming Dynasty, the Fu Star is
associated with Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou
in Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD).

12.
Yang Cheng risked his life by writing a memorial to the emperor to save the people from presenting
dwarf slaves as the special tribute to the imperial court. After his death, the people built a temple
to commemorate him, and over time he came to be considered the personification of good fortune.

13.
Fu is generally depicted in scholar's dress, holding a scroll, on which is sometimes written
the character "Fu". He may also be seen holding a child, or surrounded by children.

14.
Fu, Lu and Shou are
deities which
symbolize happiness,
wealth and longevity.
They are represented
and depictured
together since they
provide symbolism as
a unity and they
enhance each one of
their powers by this
union.

15.
Almost every folk (non-Buddhist and not specifically Taoist)
temple that has a representation of the Fu Lu Shou somewhere

16.
Singapore

17.
Sound: The Last Emperor - R.Sakamoto & D.Byrne
Text and pictures: Internet
Copyright: All the images belong to their authors
Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu
https://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela
2015