Shao Siming

Shao Siming (Chinese: 少司命; pinyin: Shǎo sī mìng) is an primordial Chinese deity of fate, paired with Da Siming (大司命) as one of a dual male dyadic pair of gods representing complementary aspects of destiny. His name has also been translated as Lesser Siming or The Lesser Master of Fate, The Young Lord of Fate. Beginning in the mid-to-late 20th century, a minority of people began to depict Shao Siming and other deities as female figures, with Fu Baoshi (傅抱石)'s works being the first example. However, this did not stem from breakthroughs in academic research or the rediscovery of ancient traditions, but rather was mainly a product of the artist's personal aesthetic style within a specific historical context. During the same period, a few scholars cited the Western mythological paradigm and believed that Shao Siming might be a goddess, but due to the weak evidence, it was immediately rejected by scholars of the same era, such as Ji Yong (紀庸) and many others.