Middle Kingdom Gold Playing Cards

Middle Kingdom Gold Playing Cards

With this exquisitely detailed deck, you’ll travel to a time of gods and emperors, fierce warriors and mythic beasts, and celebrate ancient Chinese culture in all its richness. The card backs feature lattice borders, a yin-and-yang symbol representing the indivisibility of human experience, and a magnificent Chinese dragon, the symbol of Chinese emperors. The court cards feature the deities and heroes of Chinese legend, portrayed in striking line art:

 King of Clubs: Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, who centralized the Chinese state 
 King of Hearts: Pangu, the first living being and Earth’s creator 
 King of Spades: Tai Di, the "Primordial Divinity" or "Utmost God" 
 King of Diamonds: Caishen, the Chinese god of prosperity 

 Queen of Spades: Nuwa, who with her twin brother, Fuxi, created humanity 
 Queen of Diamonds: Lan Caihe, an immortal who rode to heaven on the back of a magical swan while in a drunken stupor 
 Queen of Hearts: He Xiangu, an immortal renowned for her selfless compassion 
 Queen of Clubs: Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother of the West, who held court for the gods in her perfect palace 

 Jack of Hearts: Fuxi, who with his twin sister, Nuwa, created humanity 
 Jack of Spades: Zhan Yinbao, a soldier
 Jack of Clubs: Yu Shi, the rain god 
 Jack of Diamonds: Luxing, a deity who made people happy through promotions and salary increase

The fantastic beasts of Chinese mythology also populate this deck, each appearing on a different ace:

 Ace of Clubs: Kui, a one-legged ox that warns of coming storms

Ace of Hearts: Phoenix, a gorgeous bird that can burst into flame and be reborn from its own ashes

Ace of Spades: Dragon, the most powerful of all creatures and the traditional symbol of the Emperor

Ace of Diamonds: Pixiu, a chimeric mix of dragon and lion that brings wealth and good fortune