This is an introduction to the most frequently encountered Chinese deities in the enormous Chinese pantheon, focusing on those gods which express the most common concerns of the Chinese people. Some of these include the gods of creation myths, the mythical founders of China's early societies, and the deities of the celestial world, nature, and destiny. There have been few written records of these popular myths and gods in English or Chinese, as they have traditionally been transmitted orally. Highlighting regional variations, this is the ideal companion to deciphering the divine maze of statues in most Chinese temples.