It’s just a coincidence that a brightly colored 14-inch-tall Chung Kwei doll has gone on display at the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum during the very same week that Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle.

According to museum curator Rick Chandler, the doll, which was a recent gift to the museum, is being displayed to note the early Chinese immigrants that worked on Bainbridge Island in the 1880s.

Many of them were laborers at the area’s lumber mills, according to Chandler.

“The display is completely cultural and not related to current-day politics,” he said. “But the timing is unique.”

For those who don’t know, the Chung Kwei is a cultural figure that wards off bad luck and gives protection — sort of an early day ghostbuster. According to legend, the Chung Kwei is often seen in goldsmith shops and trading posts where expensive goods are sold, as a symbol of protection from robbery, theft and fraud. He also is considered an exorcist of the highest ability and is said to subdue demon spirits and thereafter has them in his command.

The image brings scholastic luck, protection from harmful people, wealth luck and protection from evil spirits and ghosts.

Having a Chung Kwei in your home will provide protection from tough enemies and will prevent backstabbing and jealousy in both the work place and in relationships.

The Chung Kwei is dressed in bright red and stands upright holding a “seven stars sword” pointed to the sky behind him, and the other hand is ready to squeeze evil spirits.

Just how the Chung Kwei doll came to the museum is another interesting story.

“This doll is old,” Chandler said. “A woman who was a Japanese language instructor at Olympic College gave it to us.”

That woman, Etsuko Evans of Silverdale, said the doll belonged to her older brother. The tradition in both Chinese and Japanese families was to give a Chung Kwei to the first born at birth, to keep evil away.

“She ended up with it and wanted to share it so that people could see it,” Chandler said. “It’s a cultural thing that crossed those two ethnic groups.”

According to Evans, the doll was given to her brother and on every May 5, which in her native country of Japan is known as Boys Day, it came out.

“Every year my mother would get it out on May 5 and decorate with it,” Evans said. “It was a Shouki meant to protect boys.”

Although the Chung Kwei looked very scary to her, she wasn’t afraid of it.

“I knew the story behind it,” she said. “I knew he was a strong man — a protector.”

Because her brother is now 65 years old, Evans knows the doll is at least that old.

“It could be older,” she said. “I don’t know if my grandparents had it or bought it for my brother when he was born.”

Evans has been in Washington for the past 18 years, and taught at Olympic College, but now is a student there studying psychology.

Chandler said he hadn’t heard of the Chung Kwei doll legend prior to getting the gift at the museum. But he has researched it and noted that everything he learned about it appears to hold true on the artifact the museum now has.

“Even the Seven Stars Sword,” he said. “I looked closely at the sword and it has seven tiny white dots on its handle that signify the stars.”

The Chung Kwei doll joins a few other dolls that the museum has, including a doll that is seen in photographs of young Japanese children being removed to internment camps.

The Chung Kwei is on display in a glass box on a library table at the museum.

Chandler said it is important to note that there were Chinese immigrants on Bainbridge Island in the 1880s.

From “Port Blakely — The Community Captain Renton Built,”  by Andrew Price , Jr.:

“In the early 1870s, the work force changed somewhat: With the sudden cutback in railroad construction, in which many Chinese had been employed, the Chinese began to look for employment elsewhere. They were low-cost workers, and a number were hired by the mill. But by 1877, labor strife and anti-Chinese sentiment throughout the region caused the company to give this release to the press: ‘White men have been substituted for Chinese in the employ of the Port Blakely Mill.’ Still, 14 Chinese were counted in the 1880 Census.

Washee Sam, Old John, Old Sam, Loo Yup, Bill Wang and China Charlie among them. They and their all bachelor countrymen washed, cooked, waited on tables in the hotel and generally made themselves useful and appreciated.”

“Many of them came to the West Coast to work on the railroads,” Chandler said. “There was a recognizable Chinese population on the island and most of them helped in the mills.”

He said while the museum has only a few Chinese artifacts to show the Chinese influence on Bainbridge Island, he wants to acknowledge their contribution.

“We are taking this opportunity to point out the early Chinese history on the island,” he said.

Chung Kwei hasn’t always had it easy, either.

According to legend, Chung Kwei was a bright scholar and a swordsman who wanted to become a court official. But, because he was so scary looking, he was denied service to the government by an emperor, even though he passed all his tests.

Instead, he was made a guardian in the spiritual world to catch roaming bad evil spirits.

After many years, another emperor had a dream about Chung Kwei and ordered his portrait painted and recognized him as “God of Demon Busters.” From there the legend grew.

And, just in case you want to add one to your home, here are a few things to know:

• As a protective guardian, display him near an entrance to your home facing out to ward off evil spirits.

• For those who suspect evil spirits wandering in their rooms, display Chung Kwei at the foot of your stairs to watch out for evil spirits wishing to go upstairs to disturb your sleep.

• To enhance your child’s scholastic luck, display Chung Kwei in the northeast corner, which is the education luck corner.

• Invite Chung Kwei during times of bad luck and frustration to your office to protect you from coworkers who are backstabbers. He will counter harmful forces.

• Do not place Chung Kwei on the floor. You can invite him into your home anytime, but the best time is on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The next time that rolls around is June 5, 2016.

The museum is at 215 Erickson Ave. NE and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.