White Impermanence
A smiling guide at the boundary of life.
A messenger of the dead
White Impermanence, or Bai Wuchang, is usually paired with Black Impermanence. In Chinese folk religion they escort souls under the authority of a City God or an underworld ruler. In Taiwan and southern Fujian, the pair are especially familiar as the Seventh and Eighth Lords in temple processions. Buddhist teachings on impermanence helped shape their background, but the black-and-white pair is a Chinese development.
Image and changing traditions
A tall white hat, pale robes, a fan or mourning staff, and a long tongue distinguish White Impermanence. Hat inscriptions vary by locality; familiar slogans should not be treated as a national rule. Lu Xun's essay Wuchang, in Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, describes a lively Shaoxing festival character. The loyal-friends story naming him Xie Bi'an is widespread in later folklore, but its earliest documentary source remains uncertain.
You’ve met the spirits. Write your own story.
These fictional games are for entertainment. Scores, probabilities and character outcomes do not represent traditional karma or actual destiny.
Play the game