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Heaped-up Earth Becomes a Mountain and Small Streams Form a

土 (soil, earth)

: “Tu” (“土”) is a pictographic character that is written like this...

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"Heaped-up earth becomes a mountain" is a Chinese idiom originated from the Records of the Grand Historian: "Taishan Mountain does not push away the soil, and thus has achieved its greatness. The rivers and oceans are so deep because they do not refuse the water from the small creeks." The idiom means that things may be very tiny, but if you accumulate them unceasingly, an enormous effect could be produced.

: Sacrificial rituals in honor of earth have been around since ancient time in China. Earth Master is the god in charge of earth. He's the god most related to people's livelihoods, because he's believed to control the growth of crops and ensure the thriving of livestock. In folk culture, the God of Earth is also regarded as the god of wealth and fortune, because of the folk beliefs of "where there's earth, there's wealth". So the God of Earth is enshrined as a guardian god by the business people. The God of Earth is also said to bring bumper harvest. That's why lots and lots of people welcomed him home for worshipping.

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