King Yanluo
The familiar judge of the fifth court.
From Yama to Yanluo
King Yanluo derives from Yama, a ruler of the dead in Indian tradition, whose image entered China through Buddhism. Earlier references to Yama do not imply the fully formed Chinese system of ten courts. That system developed through Chinese Buddhist texts, funerary observances, and local religious imagination.
The fifth court and its variants
In the widely circulated Yuli Baochao tradition, Yanluo presides over the fifth court. Folk narratives also connect the office with upright historical officials, particularly Bao Zheng. Calling Bao an underworld judge expresses popular admiration for justice; it is not a statement established by historical biography. Temple images may show imperial robes, a crown, and a ceremonial tablet. His position relative to Dongyue, Fengdu, and Kshitigarbha changes between Buddhist, Daoist, and local settings. There is no single organizational chart valid for all of them.
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