Bixia
Overview
In Chinese mythology Bixia (碧霞) is a fertility goddess responsible for the dawn, and a guardian of mothers and young children. Her full name is Bìxiá Yuánjūn (碧霞元君) which means “Her Majesty of the Blue Dawn,” but she is most often referred to simply as Bìxiá (碧霞).
Etymology
In addition to her formal title, Bixia has a second name, Hòutǔ (后土), which is comprised of the character for “queen,” hòu (后), and tǔ (土), which means “Earth.” This second name translates as “Queen of the Earth.” She’s also colloquially referred to as Tiānxiān Niángniáng (天仙娘娘), or “Heavenly Immortal Lady.”
Mythology
During the Great Flood of China, when the flow of the Yellow River was catastrophically diverted from its usual course, Bixia was the deity who set the river back into place, saving the lives of many people in China. She is most commonly worshiped in the northern regions of China, and her identity is sometimes conflated with that of Xiwangmu (西王母).