Wu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Cave (xué) 竈 Kangxi strokes: 21 Page 666, Entry 01 Tang Rhyme (Tangyun), Collection Rhyme (Jiyun), Rhyme Meetings (Yunhui), Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced zào. Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen): A furnace for cooking. Also written as the variant form (jiào). Explanation of Names (Shiming): A furnace (zào) is to create (zào), as it is used to create food. Broad Elegance (Boya): It is called a furnace; its edge is called a threshold (xíng), its opening is called a chimney (tū), and the area below the chimney is called a screen (zhēn). Book of Rites (Liji): In the first month of summer, offer sacrifices to the furnace. Cai Yong, Unique Judgments (Duduan): Summer is the time of the great sun, when its energy promotes growth; therefore, sacrifice to it at the furnace, located outside the temple gate to the east, first placing a mat to the west of the inner gate, and setting the master tablet at the edge of the furnace. Huainanzi: Emperor Yan appointed the Fire Official, who upon death became the Furnace God. Zhuangzi: The furnace has a spirit called Ji. Annotation: Ji is the Furnace God, wearing red clothing, appearing in the shape of a beautiful woman. History of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu): Yin Zifang was cooking on the morning of the winter sacrifice when the Furnace God appeared to him; he subsequently sacrificed a yellow sheep to the deity. Miscellaneous Five Elements Book: The name of the Furnace God is Chan, with the courtesy name Ziguo. Also, Dictionary Supplement (Zihuibu): Interconvertible with the word for create (zào). Rites of Zhou (Zhouli): The Grand Invoker manages the six prayers, the second of which is called zào. Annotation: Zào; in old versions of the book, it was written as furnace (zào). Du Zichun reads this as the zào in the word for haste (zàocì).