Our answer
Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, guardians 佛、菩萨、罗汉、天王
Four ranks of figure, each with its own place in the temple
The short answer
The figures people call Buddhist gods fall into ranks. Buddhas, such as Shakyamuni and Amitabha, have reached awakening; bodhisattvas, such as Guanyin, Manjushri and Ksitigarbha, are on the path to Buddhahood and help others along it; arhats (luohan) have freed themselves from rebirth; and guardians such as the Four Heavenly Kings and Weituo protect the temple.
| In Chinese | 佛 fó (Buddha), 菩萨 púsà (bodhisattva), 罗汉 luóhàn (arhat), 天王 tiānwáng (heavenly king) |
|---|---|
| Buddhas you will see | Shakyamuni (the founder), Amitabha (阿弥陀佛), the Medicine Buddha (药师佛), Maitreya, the future Buddha |
| Best-known bodhisattvas | Guanyin (compassion), Wenshu (wisdom), Puxian (practice), Dizang (the vow to empty the hells) |
| Arhats | Shown in groups of 16, 18 or 500 in Chinese temples and art |
| Temple guardians | The Four Heavenly Kings and Weituo, in the Hall of Heavenly Kings |
| Everyday word | 阿弥陀佛 Ēmítuófó, Amitabha’s name, used as a blessing, a greeting or an exclamation |
| Belief | 33% of Chinese adults, about 362 million people, believe in Buddha and/or a bodhisattva (CFPS 2018) |
Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats and guardians: the four ranks
In Mahayana Buddhism, the tradition followed in China, arhats rank below Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Guardian kings are heavenly beings who protect the teaching.[1][15][16][18][3][4][19]
| Rank | Chinese | Who they are | Examples in Chinese temples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buddha | 佛 fó | One who has reached full awakening. Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, founded Buddhism; Maitreya is the Buddha of the future. | Shakyamuni, Amitabha, the Medicine Buddha; Maitreya, shown in China as the big-bellied Laughing Buddha |
| Bodhisattva | 菩萨 púsà | One who seeks awakening: someone on the path to becoming a Buddha. In Mahayana, anyone who vows to become a Buddha counts, and the bodhisattva’s defining trait is working for others. | Guanyin, Wenshu (Manjushri), Puxian (Samantabhadra), Dizang (Ksitigarbha) |
| Arhat | 罗汉 luóhàn | A disciple who has gained insight, reached nirvana and been freed from the cycle of rebirth. | The Sixteen, Eighteen or Five Hundred Arhats |
| Guardian | 天王 tiānwáng; 韦驮 Wéituó | Heavenly beings who protect Buddhism and its monasteries. | The Four Heavenly Kings; Weituo (Skanda) |
Who you will see in a Chinese temple, hall by hall
Layouts vary from temple to temple, but two halls appear in most: the Hall of Heavenly Kings, which you pass through first, and the main hall behind it.[2][4][5][17][18]
| Hall | Who stands there |
|---|---|
| Hall of Heavenly Kings (天王殿) | Budai, the smiling monk regarded as a form of Maitreya, faces the front entrance. Back to back with him stands Weituo, facing the main hall. The Four Heavenly Kings stand in the four corners. |
| Main hall, or Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), centre | Shakyamuni, usually flanked by two disciples: the older Mahakashyapa and the middle-aged Ananda. Some halls show three Buddhas instead: Shakyamuni in the centre, Amitabha to the west and the Medicine Buddha (or Akshobhya) to the east. |
| Main hall, side walls | In many temples, the Eighteen Arhats or other figures line the left and right walls. |
| Main hall, behind the altar | Facing north, often Guanyin with Wenshu and Puxian; some temples show Guanyin alone, in an island scene. |
The Four Heavenly Kings and Weituo
The giant armoured statues inside the first hall guard the four directions. Each can be told by what he holds.[3][4][2]
| King | Chinese | Direction | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhritarashtra, god of music | 持国天王 Chíguó Tiānwáng | East | A pipa (lute) |
| Virudhaka | 增长天王 Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng | South | A sword |
| Virupaksha, ‘he who sees all’ | 广目天王 Guǎngmù Tiānwáng | West | A snake or red cord, standing for a dragon |
| Vaishravana, chief of the four | 多闻天王 Duōwén Tiānwáng | North | An umbrella or a pagoda |
| Weituo (Skanda), guardian of monasteries | 韦驮 Wéituó | Faces the main hall | A vajra staff, or hands pressed together; believed to ward off fire and theft |
Amitabha, the Pure Land and ‘Amituofo’
Amitabha (阿弥陀佛, Ēmítuófó or Āmítuófó; 佛 fó means Buddha) is the Buddha of the Pure Land, a realm of peace and happiness called Sukhavati. Pure Land Buddhists believe that those who remember him with faith can be reborn there. Chinese Pure Land teachers argued that anyone could reach it through simple practices, above all nianfo: chanting the phrase 南无阿弥陀佛, ‘Homage to Amitabha Buddha’. In art he is often flanked by two bodhisattvas, Guanyin on his right and Mahasthamaprapta on his left.
His name has also become an everyday word. Among Buddhists, Amituofo can be a greeting, a thank-you, a word of condolence or a blessing. In ordinary conversation it means something like ‘Buddha bless you’, and it can also be an exclamation, rather like ‘oh my god!’. The phrase is seen as auspicious and turns up on calligraphy scrolls, inscriptions, charms and amulets.[6][7][20]
The bodhisattvas of the four sacred mountains
Chinese Buddhism links four bodhisattvas with four mountains, each regarded as that bodhisattva’s place of enlightenment.[1][10][11][21][12][13][14][8][9]
| Bodhisattva | Known for | How to spot them | Sacred mountain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guanyin 观音 (Avalokiteshvara) | Compassion | See our Guanyin guide | Mount Putuo (普陀山), Zhejiang |
| Wenshu 文殊 (Manjushri) | Wisdom | A flaming sword in the right hand, to cut through ignorance; often rides a blue lion | Mount Wutai (五台山), Shanxi; UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009, described by UNESCO as the global centre of Manjushri worship |
| Puxian 普贤 (Samantabhadra) | Practice and action | Rides a six-tusked elephant; with Wenshu, flanks Shakyamuni in the ‘Shakyamuni triad’ | Mount Emei (峨眉山), Sichuan; UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, with the Leshan Giant Buddha |
| Dizang 地藏 (Ksitigarbha) | His vow not to become a Buddha until all the hells are empty | Looks like a monk, with a shaven head and simple robes; holds a ringed staff and a wish-granting jewel | Mount Jiuhua (九华山), Anhui, where a 109.9-metre statue of Dizang stands |
Dizang and Mount Jiuhua
Ksitigarbha, Dizang in Chinese, is the bodhisattva many families turn to for the dead, because of his vow to save beings in the hells. Tradition at Mount Jiuhua centres on Kim Gyo-gak, a prince of the Korean kingdom of Silla who became a monk and came to the mountain in 719. Monks believed he resembled Dizang, and Jiuhua became known as Dizang’s place of enlightenment. The 30th day of the seventh lunar month is celebrated as Dizang’s birthday.[8][9]
The 18 arhats (luohan)
The arhats began as disciples of the Buddha. Over time the group grew to sixteen, whose names became known in China through Xuanzang’s translation of 654 CE. Between the late Tang and the early Five Dynasties, two more were added to make eighteen: the Dragon-Taming Luohan (降龙罗汉) and the Tiger-Taming Luohan (伏虎罗汉). Tradition says the eighteen wait in the world for the coming of Maitreya.
The first famous portraits of the arhats were painted by the monk Guanxiu in 891 CE, for a temple in what is now Hangzhou. Each arhat has his own face and personality, which is why rows of luohan statues, sometimes in sets of five hundred, are among the most expressive sculptures in Chinese temples.[15][16]
Questions readers ask
What are the Buddhist gods called?
In Chinese temples the figures fall into ranks: Buddhas (佛 fó), bodhisattvas (菩萨 púsà), arhats (罗汉 luóhàn) and guardians such as the Four Heavenly Kings (天王 tiānwáng). Buddhas have reached awakening; the others are on the way to it or protect the teaching.
What is a bodhisattva?
Literally ‘one who seeks awakening’: someone on the path to becoming a Buddha. In Mahayana Buddhism, the form found in China, anyone who vows to become a Buddha is a bodhisattva, and the ideal is to help others towards awakening. China’s best-loved bodhisattva is [Guanyin](/culture/buddhism-in-china/guanyin).
What does Amituofo mean?
It is the Chinese name of Amitabha Buddha (阿弥陀佛), the Buddha of the Pure Land. Buddhists chant it, and they also use it as a greeting, a thank-you or a blessing. In everyday speech it means something like ‘Buddha bless you’, and it can be an exclamation too.
Who is Ksitigarbha?
Ksitigarbha, Dizang (地藏) in Chinese, is the bodhisattva who vowed not to become a Buddha until all the hells are empty. He is shown as a monk with a shaven head, a ringed staff and a jewel. His sacred mountain is Mount Jiuhua in Anhui, and his birthday is kept on the 30th day of the seventh lunar month.
Who are the 18 arhats?
Arhats, or luohan, are disciples of the Buddha who have been freed from rebirth. China first honoured sixteen; two more, the Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Taming Luohan, were added between the late Tang and early Five Dynasties to make eighteen. Many temples line their main hall with their statues.
Who are the Four Heavenly Kings?
The guardians of the four directions, whose giant statues fill the corners of a temple’s first hall: the King of the East holds a pipa, the South a sword, the West a snake or red cord, and the North an umbrella or pagoda.
Who is the Chinese Buddha with the big belly?
Budai, the [Laughing Buddha](/culture/buddhism-in-china/laughing-buddha). Chinese Buddhists regard this rotund monk as a form of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, and his statue greets visitors at the entrance of the Hall of Heavenly Kings.
Who is the Medicine Buddha?
Bhaishajyaguru, or Yaoshi Fo (药师佛), the ‘Medicine Teacher Buddha’ of the eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli. Temples hold lamp-lighting rites to him in which prayers are often for long life, and his mantra is recited in the morning service at many Chinese monasteries.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Bodhisattva · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Hall of Four Heavenly Kings · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Four Heavenly Kings · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Skanda (Buddhism) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mahavira Hall · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Amitābha · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The World of Chinese, Fluent Buddhist (February 2014) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Kṣitigarbha · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mount Jiuhua · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mount Wutai · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mount Emei · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Manjushri · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Arhat · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Eighteen Arhats · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Bhaiṣajyaguru · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Maitreya · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Pew Research Center, Measuring Religion in China: Buddhism (30 August 2023) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Tricycle, Amituofo · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Mount Wutai · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction