Eight Immortals: Zhongli Quan

Zhongli Quan is one of the oldest of the Eight Immortals, considered the most ancient and to be the leader of the Eight Immortals by some. Zhongli Quan is also known as Zhongli of Han, Han Zhongli, the True-Yang Ancestor-Master and Master of the Cloud-Chamber. He is usually depicted as a bald man with a long beard, bare bellied and with a bare chest while holding his talisman, a fan that can revive the dead. Zhongli Quan is the patron of military operations.

This immortal was a general who was sent on an expedition against and enemy up north where he sadly lost the war. Due to this loss Zhongli Quan became a fugitive who rode alone through wild and mountainous country, it is on this journey a man met at a village taught Zhongli Quan a process for attaining longevity, knowledge of divine elixirs and something called ‘Green Dragon Swordsmanship’.

There are several stories of how Zhongli Quan attained immortality, one is that he lost a battle with an enemy and fled to the mountains here Zhongli Quan met five Taoists who gave him the teachings of immortality. Several hundred years after this happened Zhongli Quan taught Lu Dongbin, another of the Eight Immortals.

Another story tells how Zhongli Quan met a old Taoist master in a forest who gave Zhongli Quan the prescriptions on how to attain immortality upon request. One story tells how during a famine Zhongli Quan made silver coins by magic and distributed these very coins to the poor, and one day a wall of the place Zhongli Quan taken as a hermit collapsed during meditation, behind the fallen wall it was discovered that there was a jade vessel containing how to attain immortality which was followed.

Eight Immortals: Zhang Guolao

Zhang Guolao, also known as Elder Zhang Guo, was a hermit who lived on Zhongtiao Mountain. He often rode on a white donkey and has been known to travel thousands of miles a day, with every rest Zhang Guolao taking he would fold his donkey up into a piece of paper and slipped it into his box. When in need of riding his donkey again he would put water on the paper to make the paper transform back into a white donkey. Zhang Guolao can be recognized by the fact he carries a peach of immortality and a phoenix feather while at times rides his donkey backwards. His talisman is a drum that can tell of future events and perform divination. Zhang Guolao is the patron of the elderly and out of the Eight Immortals it is Zhang Guolao who has the most magical ability.

In 735 AD, also known as the twenty-third year of the Kai Yuan period, Emperor Xuan Zong summoned Zhang Guolao, making him Chief of the Imperial Academy. It was later that the very Emperor tried to give Zhang Guolao some wine but was declined. Zhang Guolao stated he can only drink two pints but has a disciple that can drink ten.

Zhang Guolao’s disciple was summoned and when asked to be seated by Emperor Xuan Zong, Zhang Guolao protested that his disciple should stay standing. The disciple stayed standing and was given ten pints of wine, where Zhang Guolao said that the ten pints was his disciples limit but the disciple was given more. As a result of drinking more ten pints of wine, the head swelled and gushed out.  The disciple had transformed into a golden wine-cup to the amazement of the Emperor Xuan Zong, and upon inspection the cup could only hold ten pints of wine. Zhang Guolao was honoured and conferred the title of Master of Taoist Mysteries thanks to this.

Zhang Guolao is also known for his love of wine and winemaking, to which he has been known to make wine made from herbs and shrubs with other members of the Eight Immortals known to drink it. It is said that the wine Zhang Guolao makes has healing properties. Zhang Guolao is also known to go without food for days, surviving only on a few sips of wine.

Emperors of the Tang dynasty often invited Zhang Guolao to court but always declined. Empress Wu once asked and Zhang Guolao agreed, upon reaching the gates of a temple Zhang Guolao suddenly died with his body seen decomposing but was later seen alive and well. Zhang Guolao actually fell ill between 742 to 746AD and died, upon having his tomb opened by disciples Zhang Guolao’s body was empty.

Eight Immortals: Lu Dongbin

Lu Dongbin is considered by some as the leader of the Eight Immortals. He had the Taoist name of Chun Yangzi and was born with the name of Lu Yan. Out of all of the Eight Immortals Lu Dongbin is the most famous and most mentioned.  His talisman is a magical sword that subdues demons and evil forces. Lu Dongbin can also be recognized not only by his sword but by the scholar clothes he wears.
Lu Dongbin is the patron of jugglers, magicians and barbers.

At the time of Lu Dongbin’s birth a divine fragrance was with the house and as a child he was intelligent. He could even memorize thousands of lines a day. By the age of twenty Lu Dongbin hadn’t married and he had taken imperial examination twice but failed.

Lu Dongbin was at a tavern at a place called Chang’an where he met a man called Zhongli Quan. While Zhongli Quan was cooking a pot of yellow milled Lu Dongbin fell asleep. Lu Dongbin had a dream, that he took the imperial examination and did great. That he had became a government official and later prime minister. In this dream Lu Dongbin was also married twice with both wives from families of wealth and position and with children of his own.

However, despite the success in his dream, he dreamt that people were jealous of his success who accused him of a crime which lead to his possessions being confiscated, and to his wives and children being separated. From dreaming of gaining fame to being a solitary outcast, Lu Dongbin awoke to find the yellow millet still being prepared. To this Lu Dongbin realized the impermanence of fame, glory and wealth to which he went with Zhongli Quan to cultivate Tao.

Over the years Zhongli Quan instructed Lu Dongbin but refused to teach Lu Dongbin how to attain immortality unless Lu Dongbin did a least three thousand good deeds. The amount of good deeds was eventually reached and Lu Dongbin was active in the mortal world after attaining immortality, often testing people, giving rewards for those proving themselves virtuous.

Lu Dongbin himself is said to be a ladies man, even after becoming immortal, so people don’t really invoke Lu Dongbin with romantic problems. Not only that, but Lu Dongbin is also known for his bouts of drunkenness and soon after becoming immortal himself deformed a riverbank in a bout of anger.

There is a Chinese proverb, “dog bites Lu Dongbin”, meaning an inability to recognize goodness and repay kindness with vice.

Eight Immortals: Lan Caihe

Lan Caihe is actually the least defined of the Eight Immortals. Lan Caihe's age isn’t even known and is usually seen wearing sexually ambiguous clothing. Thing is, Lan Caihe’s gender is ambiguous in itself, some say male, others female, Lan Caihe might even be a transvestite, transsexual or hermaphrodite. The talisman that Lan Caihe has is a flower basket that not only contains divine flowers but can be used to communicate with gods. Lan Caihe is the patron of beggars, minstrels, actors, florists, gardeners and the mentally ill.

Lan Caihe’s behaviour in itself is eccentric and so is the clothing. Lan Caihe is said to have been a beggar and a wanderer who carried castanets. Lan Caihe used the castanets to clap and make a beat with it by hitting it on the ground, singing to this very beat. This would attract and entertain people who would give Lan Caihe money, to which Lan Caihe would string. When walking the coins would fall off the string, Lan Caihe wouldn’t care about the falling money and this allowed other beggars to get the money. Lan Caihe also gave coins to the needy whenever s/he could.

 

The clothing Lan Caihe wears is a tattered blue gown, one shoe, plenty of cotton-wool clothing during the summer to keep warm and little clothing during the winter, even sleeping naked in the snow. Lan Caihe even wears a wooden belt. Overall, Lan Caihe is a pretty eccentric person who was known to sleep in a field or collapse in the middle of an inn to get some shut eye and when hungry earn enough money for food and some wine by entertaining others.

Personality wise, Lan Caihe is resourceful, quick-witted and with a sense of humour. Although Lan Caihe may seems crazy this person might not actually be as crazy as s/he seems to be.

How Lan Caihe gained immortality is a strange one, Lan Caihe helped a beggar, washing his boils and sores. Nursing this beggar back to health, Lan Caihe was rewarded immortality for this.  This beggar actually have been one of the other Eight Immortals in disguise, Li Xuan.
Its also claimed that Lan Caihe’s singing accurately predict future events.

A story of Lan Caihe goes that s/he was drinking wine in a tavern when music of a reed-organ and flute started playing suddenly. The next moment Lan Caihe soared into the sky on the back of a crane, dropping the clothes s/he was wearing to the ground.

Eight Immortals: He Xiangu

He Xiangu is possibly the only female of the Eight Immortals. Some will say that she is the only female of the Eight Immortals, others will claim that there is another female within the group. He Xiangu is the only certain female of the Eight Immortals and also known as Female Immortal He or Immortal Woman He. She also owns a talisman that is a long-stalked lotus flower with the ability to improve both physical and mental health. He Xiangu is often pictured with her lotus flower but is also pictured with a musical instrument called the Sheng or with a bird called the fenghuang. He Xiangu is the patroness of the home, family life, virgins, unmarried women, cooking and housekeeping.

He Xiangu is the daughter of He T’ai who lived in the prefecture of Guangdong and was notably born with six long hairs on the crown of her head. When she was about fourteen He Xiangu had a dream where she was instructed to eat powered mica in order for her body to possibly become immune to death. He Xiangu did eat powdered mica and vowed to stay a virgin.
Over time she gave up ordinary food, eating fruits found on the mountains where she one day found a peach that she ate. It is said that this peach He Xiangu ate is the very peach that made her immortal.

He Xiangu’s parents arranged their daughter a marriage not long after she ate the peach she found. He Xiangu didn’t voice her opinion on the matter except the wedding day. He Xiangu was later found to have been missing from her bedchambers and had left a poem on a screen to which her parents did not understand.

A few years after this incident a Taoist priest who had came down from Luofu Mountain went to the He’s house. He Xiangu’s parents learnt that an apprentice by the name of He Xiangu instructed to bring her shoes back and this is how He Xiangu’s parents learnt that He Xiangu herself was studying Taoism.

It is said that Empress Wu summoned He Xiangu, but while on the way to see Empress Wu it is said He Xiangu disappeared. During the Jing Long period (about 707CE) He Xiangu  ascended to Heaven during daylight.

He Xiangu is also said to have met Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, and successfully tried to bring He Xiangu into the Tao. Lu Dongbin apparently also gave He Xiangu a Peach of Immortality.

Eight Immortals: Han Xiangzi

Philosopher Han Xiang, or more popularity known as, Han Xiangzi. He has a talisman which is a flute that produces music that can give life, make flowers bloom and soothe wild animals. Because of this life giving ability of his flute, Han Xiangzi became a protector of flautists. He is also the patron of musicians and of the middle class.

Han Xiangzi is a nephew of a prominent poet and statesman of the Tang dynasty whose name is Han Yu. It is said that Han Xiangzi tried to persuade Han Yu to renounce his political career and pursue Tao while Han Yu suggested that Han Xiangzi should renounce Tao and pursue a political career. Han Xiangzi filled an empty goblet with excellent wine and also caused flowers to spring up and bloom to try to convince Han Yu. Within the mist of the flowers words could even be seen which is said to have been:

“Lost on the far Qing Mountains, I cannot find my way;
Snowdrifts cover the Lan Pass and my horse can do no more.”

Some time afterwards Han Yu was sent off to a minor post and to do it in a place called Chaozhou. While heading to Chaozhou Han Yu was caught in a snowstorm and Han Xiangzi appeared. Han Yu asked for the name of the place, with the answer being “The Lan Pass.” The words seen in the mists were correct. A bit later Han Xiangzi told Han Yu that he will be back in good health and reinstated into his former post, it indeed happen to Han Yu‘s luck.

Han Xiangzi doesn’t have a so glamorous story of how he became immortal, as it is said that he was in a sacred peach tree and fell out of it which is said how he obtained immortality. But it also said that he enjoyed exploring his surrounding mountains, playing his flute and commune with nature itself, which is where he encountered one of the Eight Immortals, Lu Dongbin, who became his mentor.

Chan Chu

Chan Chu, also known as the Lucky Money Toad, Three-Legged Money Frog, Three-Legged Frog, King Money Frog and simply as Money Frog/Toad. Easily recognisable by the fact she is a frog or toad with three legs, often seen with a coin in her mouth and it is common to see Chan Chu on top of either a pile of coins, ingots or a mirror used in Feng Shui, the bagua. Not only that, Chan Chu has flared nostrils and red eyes which show a frightening look.

The coin itself that Chan Chu holds in his mouth is a I Ching coin which have been used as amulets to ward off evil and disease, but also for good luck. The bagua which Chan Chu is commonly seen sitting on is for the encouragement of the flow a lovely thing called chi. The ingots Chan Chu is also seen sitting on is of a simple boat shape which symbolizes abundance and an easy life.

Chan Chu is also known to have a lovely symbol on its back, the pa kua, symbolizing protection. Not only that, frogs symbolizes wealth and with a protection symbol on its back, Chan Chu is said to help bring in money and protect it as well. Chan Chu is also said to help get rid of bad luck.

In Feng Shui, Chan Chu would be placed in the living room of a house or the main room of a business, specifically at the corner diagonally opposite of the entrance door as it is said corners are where chi concentrates and chi flow will be helped with this. This is said to be the best placement for Chan Chu.

 Another thing done in Feng Shui being Chan Chu placed facing out the entrance door during the day and facing inwards of the house in the late afternoon and night. This symbolizes Chan Chu going out during the day to fetch money and later coming back with it.
Two of these frogs may also be bought and placed by a front door, one placing inwards of the house and the other facing outwards. The one facing inside brings in money while the other collects the money.

Some people will even buy nine Chan Chu’s as it is said nine is the ideal number, with these frogs placed randomly all over the living room, all facing in different directions.

Symbolically, Chan Chu represents the moon goddess, Chang E, and is even said to live on the moon. The reason for Chan Chu living on the moon comes from the legend that originally Chan Chu was the wife of one of the Eight Immortals and a greedy person herself. It is said that Chan Chu stole the Elixir of Immortality from a goddess known as Queen Mother of the West. She was punished by being turned into a three legged from and sent to the moon.

Lui Hai, one of the Eight Immortals, is also said to have known of Chan Chu’s like for money and use a red line tied with gold coins to lure Chan Chu out from hiding. It is for this that frogs with coins symbolize the soon coming of wealth.

Eight Immortals: Cao Guojiu

Cao Guojiu is one of the Eight Immortals and referred to as Royal Uncle Cao who is actually the newest but not youngest member of the Eight Immortals. Cao Guojiu is actually the brother of Empress Dowager Cao plus an uncle to an emperor and seen to represent nobility. Cao Guojiu can be distinguished as he wears a cloth cap and often seen holding a jade tablet (which is his talisman that can purify the environment, it also permit’s him an audience with the emperor). Sometimes Cao Guojiu is pictured with a pair of clapper castanets. Cao Guojiu personally takes patronage of actors.

It is said there Cao Guojiu is a shy man who is uninterested in politics despite his nobility, and has a brother who exploits his position by murdering as people won’t arrest him due to his nobility. Cao Guojiu tried to council his brother about his poor behaviour but failed, Cao Guojiu left in disgust and took residence in a cave cultivating his conduct. After some years he was visited by two men, Lu Dongbin and Zhongli Quan (another two of the Eight Immortals) who questioned Cao Guojiu and awarded him immortality.
Some say that Cao Guojiu tried to kill his brother for killing a man and marrying the widow but ended up in prison. Upon getting out of prison Cao Guojiu mended his ways and eventually became immortal.

Eight Immortals

The Eight Immortals are known by many and a group of mostly males, with at least one female in the group and another, Lan Caihe, may be a female transvestite. Regardless of gender, each represent a different aspect of Taoist perfection.

The Eight Immortals are often depicted together and aren’t usually pictured with the gods and goddesses in Heaven. This group of people actually make their home at a legendary island known as Penglai. Their images can be seen in many places due to their popularity, the Eight Immortals are also revered with temples such as Eight Immortals Palace in Xi’an, South Palace (also called Eight Immortal Temple) found in Mu-cha in Taipei City, Taiwan and Xian Gu Tain found in Singapore.

Each of the Eight Immortals are even said to have a talisman of their own which can help them in some shape or form. There are quite a few legends around this group and it is said that simple having an image of this very group of people around is good luck.