Deities of Fortune（fu），Prosperity（lu），and Longevity（shou）
1 min readFu，Lu and Shou are three deities who represent good fortune，prosperity，and longevity.Well-known in Chinese folk belief，they usually appear together as a trinity.
The fu deity is placed on the right of the lu.This deity，known for wealth andhappiness，is holding in his arms a scroll，on which a Chinese character “fu” is written.The meaning of the fu character is all-embracing.It denotes people’s bright hopes and goals in their common secular life.
The lu deity appears in traditional garments like an ancient Chinese scholar.He stands at the center，holding in his arms odd-shaped gold or silver ingots.In Chinese folk belief，the lu deity is an auspicious one who takes charge of prosperity，rank，and influence.
The shou deity is placed on the left of the lu.The deity also refers to the“South Pole 01d Man Planet” in Chinese astronomy.The ancients believed that this planet possessed celestial powers that could not only affect the life-span of a state，but could also prolong a person’s life.The shou deity appears as an old man with a long full white beard，a friendly smile，and an unusually protrudingforehead.He is holding a walking stick or carrying a gourd filled with the Elixir of Life.In addition，he is usually accompanied by a bat，a tortoise，or a stag. All these creatures symbolize immortality.
