Abstract

This paper traces the evolution of thunder deities from global mythological traditions to their unique institutionalization within Daoism, with a particular focus on Leisheng Puhua Tianzun, the central thunder deity in Daoist ritual and theology. The study unfolds in three parts. First, it examines the origins, symbolism, and cross-cultural representations of thunder gods in early global and Chinese contexts, highlighting shared motifs of divine authority, cosmic order, and moral enforcement. Second, it explores the development of the Daoist Thunder Deity System, focusing on the rise of Leisheng Puhua Tianzun as a powerful celestial official within the Daoist pantheon, especially in relation to exorcism, justice, and ritual communication. The third part turns to visual culture, analyzing the Dao Zheng Zongshi Tu (Orthodox Daoist Master Scroll) from the Qing dynasty—a richly painted scroll that visually codifies the Daoist pantheon. As a visual document, this scroll presents a hierarchically structured depiction of major Daoist deities, including Yuanshi Tianzun, Doumu, Zhenwu, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, Leisheng Puhua Tianzun, Erlang Shen, and others, accompanied by donor inscriptions and iconographic annotations. The scroll not only reflects the theological order and cosmological worldview of Daoism but also embodies the interaction between religious doctrine, ritual practice, and local community patronage. Through close textual and visual analysis, this study explores how the scroll encodes Daoist cosmology via deity arrangement, iconographic symbolism, and spatial hierarchy. Particular attention is given to the first tier, where Yuanshi Tianzun sits at the center surrounded by major celestial figures such as Lingbao Tianzun, Daode Tianzun, the Jade Emperor, Houtu, and Xiwangmu. The scroll serves as a case study to examine how Daoist beliefs were transmitted, systema-tized, and ritualized through image-making practices in late imperial China. By situating this artifact within the broader tradition of Qing dynasty Daoist visual culture, the paper argues that such paintings functioned not merely as devotional images but as complex visual-theological texts that organized divine authority, articulated religious cosmology, and encoded social memory.