Shen Gongbao (申公豹) is a major character featured within the famed classic Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.[1] Shen Gongbao is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, Jiang Ziya's junior fellow apprentice.[2]
The earliest source of the character Shen Gongbao is in the novel Fengshen Yanyi, but according to some scientific theses from the 2000s in China, the portrayal of Shen Gongbao may have originated from the practice of tiger worship in Jinan that existed long before the appearance of the novel Fengsheng Yanyi.[3]
In Fangshen Yanyi, Shen Gongbao is good at communication, persuasion, and magic arts in general. He first appeared as a Yaojing terrorizing the Mysterious Fog Mountain. Then one day, Hongjun Laozu arrived and defeated him. He then took Shen Gongbao to Yuanshi Tianzun at Kunlun Mountain to practice Taoism so he could become a god. Later, Shen Gongbao left Kunlun Mountain to assist King Zhou of Shang to battle the Eastern Kingdom (Xiqui) and regarded Jiang Ziya as his enemy.[4]
Finally, Shen Gongbao was arrested by his master Yuanshi Tianzun. Shen Gongbao was appointed as the General of East Sea in the end. The General of East Sea is one of the gods who manage the East China Sea.[5] [6]
In classical Chinese artwork, Shen Gongbao is frequently depicted as a deity riding a white-foreheaded tiger (白額虎), holding a treasure sword (寶劍) in one hand and a celestial pearl (開天珠) in the other, both possessing the ability to subdue demons. In contrast, in Chinese opera, Shen Gongbao is often portrayed as a deity riding a black panther, with a dark, flowing beard, while one hand is raised high and the other is poised for action.
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Investiture of the Gods | Chinese: 封神榜 | Lei Changxi | [7] |
| 1999 | The Legend of Ne Zha | Chinese: 莲花童子哪咤 | Chen Tianwen | [8] |
| 2001 | Gods of Honour | Chinese: 封神榜 | Joseph Lee Kwok Lun | [9] |
| 2006 | The Legend and the Hero | Chinese: 封神榜之凤鸣岐山 | Miao Haizhong | [10] |
| 2009 | The Legend and the Hero 2 | Chinese: 封神榜之武王伐紂 | ||
| 2014 | The Investiture of the Gods | Chinese: 封神英雄榜 | Zhang Mingming | [11] |
| 2015 | The Investiture of the Gods II | Chinese: 封神英雄 | ||
| 2019 | Investiture Of the Gods | Chinese: 封神演義 (2019年電視劇)|封神演義 | Hai Yitian | |
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role Player | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | League of Gods | Chinese: 3D封神榜 | |||
| 2019 | Nezha | Chinese: 哪吒之魔童降世 | Yang Wei | Voice | |
| 2020 | Jiang Ziya | Chinese: 姜子牙 | Tutehameng | Voice | |
| 2022 | Chinese: 新神榜：杨戬 | Yi Zhao[12] | Voice | ||
| 2022 | Chinese: 封神第一部：朝歌风云 | Xia Yu |
| Title | Japanese Title | Role Player | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fengshen Yanyi | Japanese: 封神演義 | |||
| Fengshen Yanyi | Japanese: 封神演義 | |||
| Fengshen Yanyi | Japanese: 封神演義 | |||
| Fengshen Yanyi | Japanese: 封神演義 |