Tian Long Ba Bu: Not just a Jin Yong novel

Gandharva

Gandharva are gods of fragrance. They live on fragrance rather than food. Gandharva is in charge of music for Deva. In the frescoes of Dunhuang Mogao Grottos, the gods holding flowers and jewelry are Gandharva.

A statue of Garuda. [Photo/fo.ifeng.com]

Garuda

Garuda is a bird-shaped god. It needs to eat hundreds of dragons a day to stay alive.

Kinnara in a fresco. [Photo/fo.ifeng.com]

Kinnara

These are gods of music who can also be found playing musical instruments in the frescoes of Dunhuang Mogao Grottos.

A statue of Ashura. [Photo/fo.ifeng.com]

Ashura

Ashura have two sexes, male and female. The males are very ugly, yet the females are very pretty. They are stubborn and grumpy and often fight against Deva for delicious food.

A statue of Mahiraga. [File photo]

Mahiraga

Mahiraga are half-snake and half-human gods. They were deaf, dull and ignorant before practicing Buddhism. In 1993 film Green Snake adapted from Lilian Lee’s novel of the same title, the theme song is called Mahiraga, indicating the tale of the two snakes in the film.