A ‘Five Thunder’ tablet protected a house and its inhabitants against evil spirits. It was positioned at the house door and prevented ghosts from entering. The object is hollow inside and the cavity contains secret formulas, spells and an unknown object which would all scare off evil forces. On the front is a depiction of the exorcist Zhong Kui with his ferocious eye-bulging face, standing on lightning, while brandishing his special demon-repelling sword. According to the legend, Zhong Kui is a guardian at the bridge to the underworld and he commands a large army to fight harmful spirits. The last fact is confirmed by an inscription on the side of this tablet warning that a large army of soldiers and horses is under his command. Two of the ‘Eight Trigrams’ (Bagua) are carved out. On the top there is the symbol of Heaven (天 Tiān) and on the bottom the symbol of Fire (火 Huǒ). This ‘Five Thunder’ tablet was found in Hong Kong in 1989 and dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). Height 19.8 cm. Width 6.8 cm. Depth 3.1 cm.