The Tradition of Door Gods in Chinese Culture

The tradition of putting up paintings of door gods on one's doors or gates started in Han Dynasty, which was roughly about 2,000 years ago. The first pair of door gods were responsible for guarding the gate to the underworld and making sure that the wandering souls would be back on time. They're fully armored with golden helmets on their heads like they're ready for battle. There is an interesting story when it comes to these real-life door gods: A Dragon King committed a crime and had his head chopped off by some celestial judge.