Ganesha Image Metamorphosis In China

Ganesha, also named Ganapati, was a human gods of Hinduism, and the son of Shiva and Parvati, in charge of wisdom. However, during the later period of Indian Buddhism, it is absorbed in as a Dharmapala, protecting the Buddha dharma. In the course of the spread of Buddhism, it is firstly introduced to the Han area of China, and then Tibet. Because of the different region, culture, religion and social custom, the image and identity of Ganesha in Han area and Tibet is unlike, with densely local characteristics. Even the Ganesha of Han area has different identity and function during different historical period. This paper intends to systematically discuss the different image and identity of Ganesha after it is introduced into Han area of China and Tibet, then analyze the cause of such otherness, and further demonstrate the way of spread, archaeological remains and the social impact it produced in China.