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Concept
Eight Immortals
Summary
The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary xian ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel (法器) that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙). Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Song Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea, which includes Mount Penglai.
The Immortals are:
He Xiangu (何仙姑), in modern context generally seen as the only female of the group, often depicted holding a lotus flower.
Cao Guojiu (曹國舅), related to a Song dynasty emperor before he became an immortal.
Li Tieguai (李鐵拐), considered to be mentally disturbed and associated with medicine and easing the suffering of the sick and needy, identified by his iron crutch and calabash bottle.
Lan Caihe (藍采和), originally pictured as female later developed an ambiguous or more accurately, a "transformative" gender and is considered the patron of florists and gardeners.
Lü Dongbin (呂洞賓), a scholar and poet considered to be the leader of the Eight Immortals.
Han Xiangzi (韓湘子), a flute artist.
Zhang Guolao (張果老), a fangshi symbol of longevity.
Han Zhongli (汉鍾離), associated with death and the power to create silver and gold, often depicted holding a fan.
In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genies. Some stories had them all "cheerfully addicted to wine", so they were called the "Jiu-zhong Ba Xian" or "Eight Drunken Immortals". First described in the Yuan Dynasty, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han.
While cults dedicated to various Taoist immortals date back to the Han dynasty, the popular and well-known Eight Immortals first appeared in the Jin dynasty. The wall murals and sculptures in the Jin tombs, created during the 12th and 13th centuries, depicts a group of eight Taoist immortals.
Official source
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