Men Shen are regarded as the Spirit Guardians of an entrance to a home or temple.
They are either painted or carved on temple doors or are printed on paper and pasted on the
outside of front doors. They are normally shown as fierce, heavily armed soldiers holding a
long-handled axe or sword and standing in a threatening pose. They stay on watch guarding
against demons and permit the family to sleep peacefully without being troubled by dreams of demons
Nikon D70, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G
By Regis Madec on 2004-12-27