It is generally believed that Hau Tou (后土Houtu), the God of the Earth, can safeguard tombs where stone tablets of Hau Tou are often erected as the symbols to one side of the tombs, written with the Chinese characters 后土(Houtu / God of the Earth), 龍神(Dragon God), 山靈(Mountain Spirits) and 福神(God of Blessings), etc.

The Liji Zhengyi (the Right Meaning of the Ritual Records) mentions that “the tablet of Hau Tou is placed on the left side of the tomb.” In the Tang dynasty, it was a common practice to make sacrifices to Hau Tou on the right side where the tomb was to be built in order to obtain Hau Tou’s permission before starting digging. People in the Song dynasty also made ritual offerings to Hau Tou after cleaning the gravesites at the Cheng Ming Festival. Relevant descriptions can also be found in Zhu Xi’s Jiali (the Family Rituals), such as “select a date to clear the gravesite and pray to Hau Tou”, as well as “hold the burial ritual, place the coffin, and make sacrifices to Hau Tou.” Later in the Ming and Qing dynasties, a stone tablet that symbolised Hau Tou would also be erected on one side of the tomb for worship, written with the Chinese characters of 后土, 龍神, 山靈.

Most of the tombs of the Chinese in Macao are also accompanied by a Hau Tou tablet. Those from earlier years only with the Chinese characters written 后土or the tomb owner’s surname 山(mountain)后土, etc., while more recent ones are written with the Chinese characters of the tomb owner’s surname 山(mountain)后土龍神.(1: Photo Taken at Largo do Pagode do Patane 2: Photo Taken at Taipa Sa Kong Municipal Cemetery)