The main Chinese deity associated with intelligence, literature, and scholarship is Wen Chang (文昌), often depicted as a celestial official controlling the stars related to literature and examinations, though Kuei Xing (魁星), the "Star of Recognition," is a prominent figure for academic success, famous for his odd appearance and mastery of the imperial exams, while Fuxi and Shennong are culture heroes who taught fundamental knowledge.
The taotie is an ancient Chinese mythological creature that was commonly emblazoned on bronze and other artifacts during the 1st millennium BCE. Taotie are one of the Four Perils in Chinese classics like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, alongside the Hundun, Qiongqi, and Taowu.
These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including "Four Guardians", "Four Gods", and "Four Auspicious Beasts". They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior") of the North.
If you are referring to “highest authority and power” then the strongest god in the Chinese pantheon/religion is Shangdi, or for Taoism it would be the Three Pure Ones. The second one would be the Jade Emperor, however he's only the ruler of Heaven and the Gods, and isn't the highest or supreme deity.
The great General Guan Yu, who became revered as Guan Gong the god of war. I've always hated the "God of War" moniker. Yes, he was a general and a warrior, but he is "worshipped" for honor, loyalty and brotherhood. Hence, he was "worshipped" by both the police and criminals.
It is important to highlight that Guanyin had actually become a Buddha known as 正法明如來 (“The Buddha who clearly understands the true law”) in the past. However, in order to make direct contact with sentient beings and lead them from suffering, this Buddha decided to step down and return as a Boddhisattva.
Leigong (Chinese: 雷公; pinyin: léigōng; Wade–Giles: lei2 kung1; lit. 'Lord of Thunder') or Leishen (Chinese: 雷神; pinyin: léishén; lit. 'God of Thunder'), is the god of thunder in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and Taoism.
The Eight Immortals crossing the sea, from Myths and Legends of China. Clockwise in the boat starting from the stern: He Xian'gu, Han Xiang Zi, Lan Caihe, Li Tieguai, Lü Dongbin, Zhongli Quan, Cao Guojiu and outside the boat is Zhang Guo Lao.
Thus, the name Shangdi should be translated as "Highest Deity", but also has the implied meaning of "Primordial Deity" or "First Deity" in Classical Chinese. The deity preceded the title and the emperors of China were named after him in their role as Tianzi, the sons of Heaven.
The dragon is a divine beast that is respected by Chinese people, and is also a symbol of the spirit of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, emperors have regarded the dragon as a symbol of power and dignity. The Hall of Supreme Harmony and the terrace below the three Great Halls feature over 10,000 dragons.
Shijin is an oriental symbol representing the guardians of the four cardinal points. Each guardian is also related to an animal, a season, a color, an element, a virtue. This quartet is the meeting point and the alliance of four powerful musical entities, each bringing their experience, style and culture of origin.
For the sake of completeness I'm going to present all five of them here. They are: Black warrior of the North, azure dragon of the East, vermilion bird of the South, white tiger of the West and yellow dragon of the Center.
13–16% of the population are Buddhists, 10% are Taoists; 2.53% are Christians, and 0.83% are Muslims. Folk salvation movements involve anywhere from 2–13% of the population. Many in the intellectual class adhere to Confucianism as a religious identity.
Gui, Guai, Yao, Mo and Xie
In Chinese texts, specific yao (妖) are sometimes referred to as gui (鬼; "spectre or ghost"), guai (怪; "strange monster"), mo (魔; "demon, close to the Western sense") or xie (邪; "spiritually deviant or morally corrupt being").
The xiezhi (獬豸; xièzhì < Eastern Han Chinese *gɛʔ-ḍɛʔ ) is a mythical creature of Chinese origin found throughout Sinospheric legends. It resembles an ox or goat, with thick dark fur covering its body, bright eyes and a single long horn on its forehead. It has great intellect and understands human speech.
In Sanatan Dharma, Mahabali, Ashwatthama, Ved Vyas, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya, Parshuram, and Markandeya are the eight immortals known as Astha Chiranjeevis. They have lived from one Satyug to another. They still exists on earth, and will remain alive until the next Satya Yuga.
In Chinese Constellations, there are four mythological creatures guard the world in four directions, which are named 'Four Symbols' or 'Four Mythological Symbols' ('Si Xiang' in Chinese). They are the Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise.
Eighteen levels of Hell
The concept of the eighteen hells started in the Tang dynasty. The Buddhist text Sutra on Questions about Hell (問地獄經) mentioned 134 worlds of hell, but was simplified to the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the Sutra on the Eighteen Hells (十八泥犁經) for convenience.
The country that is approximately 95% Buddhist is Thailand, where Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion, deeply integrated into daily life and culture, with other nearby nations like Cambodia also having very high Buddhist majorities.
Majority of Christians may think Jesus is strongest. Majority of Buddhists may think Buddha is strongest. But to Buddha (or enlightened being), "strong" is just a subjective and relative term, which resulted from our differentiating mind.
Sun Wukong 72 Transformation
The most powerful Chinese god is believed to be Shangdi, the god of victory in war and harvest. He is said to be the most powerful because of his Shang and Zhou influences.
Etymology. This goddess was initially known as Xuannü (玄女). The name is variously translated as the "Dark Lady" or the "Mysterious Lady". In the late Tang dynasty, the Daoist master Du Guangting (850–933) added Jiutian (九天), translated as "[of the] Nine Heavens", to create the title Jiutian Xuannü (九天玄女) for her.
Other Origin(s):Chinese. Meaning:Garland, necklace; Flowers; Thunder; Bud; Pile of stones. Lei is a gender-neutral name of Hawaiian and Chinese origin.