Westerner dress up as Cai Shen, greeting Chinese New Year 2012 at Chinatown London.
Cai Shen is the Chinese god of prosperity. Though Cai Shen started as a Chinese folk hero, later deified and venerated by local followers and admirers, Taoism and Pure Land Buddhism also came to venerate him as a god.
Cai Shen's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold.
