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Part of a series on Taoism Image File history File links Zhongwen. ... The UTF-8-encoded Japanese Wikipedia article for mojibake, as displayed in ISO-8859-1 encoding. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tá»±: A Chinese character or Han character (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a logogram used in writing Chinese, Japanese, sometimes Korean, and formerly Vietnamese. ... Taoism (or Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical traditions and concepts. ...

Fundamentals

Dao - De

Wuji - Taiji

Yin-Yang - Wu xing

Qi – Neidan

Wu wei

Texts

Daode jing

Zhuangzi - Liezi

Daozang

Deities

Three Pure Ones

Five Supremes

Guan Shengdi

Eight Immortals

Yellow Emperor – Xiwangmu

Jade Emperor – Chang'e

Others

Prominent Taoists

Laozi · Zhuangzi

Zhang Daoling · Zhang Jiao

Ge Hong · Chen Tuan

Wang Chongyang

Schools

Five Pecks of Rice

Yellow Turbans

Shangqing – Lingbao

Quanzhen – Zhengyi

Xuanxue

Sacred Sites

Grotto-heavens

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The Eight Immortals (Chinese: 八仙; pinyin: Bāxiān; Wade-Giles: Pa-hsien) are a group of legendary xian ("immortals; transcendents; fairies") in Chinese mythology. Each Immortal's power can be transferred to a tool of power (法器) that can give life or destroy evil. Together, these eight tools are called "Covert Eight Immortals" (暗八仙 àn ~). Most of them are said to have been born in Tang Dynasty or Song Dynasty. Not only are they revered by the Daoists, but they are a popular element in the secular Chinese culture. They live on Penglai Mountain-Island. Image File history File links Yin_yang. ... This article is about the Chinese character and the philosophy it represents. ... De (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: te) is a key concept in Chinese philosophy, usually translated inherent character; inner power; integrity in Daoism, moral character; virtue; morality in Confucianism and other contexts, and quality; virtue (guna) or merit; virtuous deeds (punya) in Chinese Buddhism. ... This article is about a concept in Taoism. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Chữ nôm: Hán tá»±: The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena... Bön Hinduism (Tattva) and Buddhism (MahābhÅ«ta) Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Japanese (Godai) Earth (地) Water (æ°´) Air / Wind (風) Fire (火) Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Chinese (Wu Xing) In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be classified into the Wu Xing... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... Neidan, a Chinese method of internal alchemy. ... Wu wei (trad. ... The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: D Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the title)) is an ancient Chinese scripture... Zhuangzi (Traditional: 莊子; Simplified: 庄子, Pinyin: Zhuāng Zǐ, Wade-Giles: Chuang TzÅ­, lit. ... The Liezi (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Lieh Tzu; literally [Book of] Master Lie) is a Daoist text attributed to Lie Yukou, a circa 5th century BCE Hundred Schools of Thought philosopher, but Chinese and Western scholars believe it was compiled around the 4th century CE. // The first two references to... The Daozang (Daoist Cannon) consists of almost 5000 individual texts that were collected circa C.E. 400 (quite some time after the Dao De Jing and Zhuang Zi which are the core Daoist texts). ... The Three Pure Pellucid Ones (Chinese: 三清; Cantonese: Sarm Tsing; Mandarin: San-ching), also translated as The Three Pure Ones, The Three Clarities, or The Three Purities, are the three highest Taoist deities. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Guan (é—œ) Guan Yu (關羽) (160–219) was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. ... Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor or Huang Di (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: huángdì) is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. ... Xiwangmu near Kaohsiung, Taiwan The Queen Mother of the West (Chinese: 西王母; pinyin: XÄ«wángmÇ”; Japanese: Seiōbo), in Chinese mythology, is the ruler of the western paradise and goddess of immortality. ... The Jade Emperor (Chinese: ; pinyin: or 玉帝 Yù Dì), are known by many names including Heavenly Grandfather (天公 Tiān Gōng), the Pure August Jade Emperor, August Personage of Jade (玉皇上帝 Yu Huang Shangdi or 玉皇大帝 Yu Huang Dadi), is formally known as Peace-Absolving Central-August-Spirit Exalted-Ancient-Buddha-Most-Pious... Change (mythology) - Chinese goddess Change program - unmanned space exploration mission to the Moon This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Chen Po (Chen Tuan, Chen Hsi I) 871-989 Ge Hong 284–364 Ho Yen Guo Xiang (Kuo Hsiang) d. ... Laozi (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Lao Tzu; also Lao Tse, Laotze, Lao Zi, and in other ways) was an ancient Chinese philosopher. ... Zhuangzi (Traditional: 莊子; Simplified: 庄子, Pinyin: Zhuāng Zǐ, Wade-Giles: Chuang TzÅ­, lit. ... Celestial Master Zhang Daoling Zhang Daoling (Chang Tao-ling), aka Zhang Ling. ... Zhang Jiao or Zhang Jue (d. ... Ge Hong(葛洪) (284-364, also known as Zhichuan) was a minor southern official during the Jin dynasty (263-420), best known for his interest in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity. ... Chen Tuan (陳摶) (birthname: Chen Tuan, name as a sage: Chen Hsi I, Chen Xi Yi) (871-989) was a legendary Taoist sage. ... Wang Chongyang (11 January 1113 – 22 January 1170) [Chinese calendar: 宋徽宗政和二年十二月廿二 – 金世宗大定十年正月初四] (Traditional Chinese: 王重陽; Simplified Chinese: 王重阳; pinyin: Wáng Chóngyáng) was a Song Dynasty Taoist who was one of the founders of Quanzhen Taoism in the twelfth century. ... Tianshi Dao (Simplified Chinese:天师道, Traditional Chinese: 天師道, pinyin: Tiān ShÄ« Dào) or Way of the Celestial Masters is a Chinese Daoist movement that was founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 CE. At its height, the movement controlled a theocratic state in Sichuan. ... Combatants Yellow Turbans Han Dynasty Commanders Zhang Jiao Zhang Bao Zhang Liang He Jin Huangfu Song Lu Zhi Zhu Jun Dong Zhuo Cao Cao Strength 360,000 Various Casualties Unknown Unknown The Yellow Turban Rebellion, sometimes also translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) was a... The Shangqing School (Chinese:上清) is a Daoist movement that began during in the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty. ... Lingbao refers to a branch of Taoism that originated in the late 4th century CE. Lingbao can be translated as numinous gem or spiritual treasure. ... the Quanzhen School is an important school in Chinese Taoism. ... Zhengyi Dao (Simplified Chinese: 正一道, Traditional Chinese: 正一道) or Way of Orthodox Oneness or Way of Orthodox Unity is a Chinese Daoist movement that has roots in the Celestial Masters sect. ... Xuanxue(chinese:玄學) is a sub-discipline of Confucianism and Taoism, its main theme is to study the very nature of being, similar to ontology while not being the chinese counterpart of it. ... Grotto-heavens (Chinese:洞天; Pinyin: Dongtian) are a type of sacred Daoist site. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Xian (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: hsien) is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as: spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being (in Daoist/Taoist philosophy and cosmology) physically immortal; immortal person; immortalist; saint (in Daoist religion and pantheon) alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life... Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. ... For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Bianjing (汴京) (960–1127) Linan (臨安) (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 960–976 Emperor Taizu  - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong  - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong  - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Chinese culture has roots going back over five thousand years. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Horai. ...

The Immortals are:

• Immortal Woman He (He Xiangu),
• Royal Uncle Cao (Cao Guojiu),
• Iron-Crutch Li (Li Tieguai),
• Lan Caihe,
• Lü Dongbin, (leader)
• Philosopher Han Xiang (Han Xiang Zi),
• Elder Zhang Guo (Zhang Guo Lao), and
• Zhongli Quan.

For their names in Chinese characters and Wade-Giles, see the individual pages in the list above. Immortal Woman He Named He Qiong (何瓊 hé qióng), Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu (何仙姑 in pinyin: hé xiān gÅ«) or Ho Hsien-ku in Wade-Giles, is a female deity, one of Eight Immortals. ... The newest of the Eight Immortals, Royal Uncle Cao or Cao Guojiu (曹國舅 in pinyin: cáo guó jiù) or Wade-Giles, Tsao Kuo-chiu, is named one of the following: Cao Yi (曹佾 cáo yì) (courtesy name Gongbo (公伯 gōng bó)) Cao Jing (曹景 cáo jǐng) Cao... The hideous aspect of Iron-crutch Li Iron-crutch Li (李铁拐/李鐵拐, PY: Lǐ TiÄ›guÇŽi, WG: Li Tieh-kuai) is the most ancient of the Eight Immortals of the Daoist pantheon. ... A woodcut of Lan Caihe. ... LÇš DòngbÄ«n (呂洞賓) (sometimes seen spelled Lu Tong-Pin) is a Chinese deity revered by Daoists. ... One of the Eight Immortals, Philosopher Han Xiang (韓湘子 in pinyin: hán xiāng zi) or Han Xiang Zi, in Wade-Giles as Han Hsiang Tzu, was born Han Xiang in Tang, and his courtesy name is Qingfu (清夫 qÄ«ng fÅ«). He is the nephew or grandson of Han Yu... A woodcut of Zhang Guo, carrying a fish-drum. ... Zhongli Quan of Chinese mythology, the second oldest of the eight immortals. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tá»±: A Chinese character or Han character (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a logogram used in writing Chinese, Japanese, sometimes Korean, and formerly Vietnamese. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ...

In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genie. First described in the Yuan Dynasty, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... For other uses, see Genie (disambiguation). ... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... This article is about one of the less famous set of Eight Immortals. ...

In art

The tradition of depicting humans who’ve become an immortal is an ancient practice in Chinese art, and when religious Taoism gained popularity, it quickly picked up this tradition with its own immortals^{[citation needed]}. 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(金朝). The art of the Jin tombs of the 12th and 13th centuries depict a group of eight Taoist immortals in wall murals and sculptures. They officially became known as the Eight Immortals in the writings and works of art of the Taoist sect known as the Complete Realization (Quanshen). The most famous art depiction of the Eight Immortals from this period is a mural of them in the Eternal Joy Temple (Yongle Gong) at Ruicheng. Taoism (or Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical traditions and concepts. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... The JÄ«n Dynasty (Jurchen: Anchu; Chinese: 金朝; Pinyin: ; 1115-1234), also known as the Jurchen dynasty, was founded by the Wanyan (完顏 Wányán) clan of the Jurchen, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later. ...

The Eight Immortals are considered to be signs of prosperity and longevity, so they are popular themes in ancient art. They were frequent adornments on celadon vases. They were also common in sculptures owned by the nobility. Their most common appearance, however, was in paintings^{[citation needed]}. Many silk paintings, wall murals, and wood block prints remain of the eight immortals. They were often depicted either together in one group, or alone to give more homage to that specific immortal.

An interesting feature of early Eight Immortal artwork is that they are often accompanied by jade hand maidens, commonly depicted servants of the higher ranked deities, or other images showing great spiritual power. This shows that early on the Eight Immortals quickly became eminent figures of the Taoist religion, and had great importance^{[citation needed]}. We can see this importance only is heightened in the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasties. During these dynasties, the Eight Immortals are very frequently associated with other prominent spiritual deities in artwork. They are numerous paintings with them and the Three Stars (the gods of longevity, emolument, and good fortune) together. Also, other deities of importance, such as the Queen Mother of the West, are commonly seen in the company of the Eight Immortals. For other uses, see Ming. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing...

The artwork of the Eight Immortals isn’t limited to paintings or other visual arts. They are quite prominent in written works too. Authors and playwrights wrote numerous stories and plays on the Eight Immortals. One famous story that has been rewritten many times and turned into several plays (the most famous written by Mu Zhiyuan in the Yuan dynasty) is The Yellow-Millet Dream, which is the story of how Lǚ Dòngbīn met Zhongli Quan and began his path to immortality.^[1]

In literature

The Eight Immortals crossing the sea, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner. Clockwise in the boat starting from the stern: He Xiangu, Han Xiang Zi, Lan Caihe, Li Tieguai, Lü Dongbin, Zhongli Quan, Cao Guojiu and outside the boat is Zhang Guo Lao.

The Immortals are the subject of many artistic creations, like paintings and sculptures. Examples of writings about them include: Image File history File links Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea - Project Gutenberg eText 15250 From http://www. ... Image File history File links Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea - Project Gutenberg eText 15250 From http://www. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses , see Painting (disambiguation). ... Sculptor redirects here. ... Write redirects here. ...

• The Yueyang Mansion (《岳陽樓》 yuè yáng lòu) by Ma Zhiyuan (馬致遠 mǎ zhì yuǎn),
• The Bamboo-leaved Boat (《竹葉船》 zhú yè chuán) by Fan Zi'an (范子安 fàn zǐ ān), and
• The Willow in the South of the City (《城南柳》 chén nán liǔ) by Gu Zijing (谷子敬 gǔ zǐ jìng).
• The most significant of the writings is The Eight Immortals Depart and Travel to the East (《八仙出處東游記》 bā xiān chū chù dōng yoú jì) by Wu Yuantai (吳元泰 wú yuán taì) in Ming Dynasty.
• There is another work in Ming, by an anonymous writer, called The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea (《八仙過海》 bā xiān guò hǎi). It is about the Immortals on their way to attend the Conference of the Magical Peach (蟠桃會 pán taó huì) and encountered an ocean. Instead of going across by their clouds, Lü Dongbin suggested that together, they should use their powers to get across. Stemming from this, the Chinese proverb "The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine power" (八仙過海，各顯神通 ~, gè xiǎn shén tōng) indicates the situation that everybody shows off their powers to achieve a common goal.

For other uses, see Ming. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... ...

Reverence

Established in the Song Dynasty, the Xi'an temple Eight Immortals Palace (八仙宮), formerly Eight Immortals Nunnery (八仙庵), where statues of the Immortals can be found in the Hall of Eight Immortals (八仙殿). In Mu-cha (木柵 mù zhà), Taipei County, Taiwan, there is a temple called South Palace (南宮), nicknamed Eight Immortal Temple (八仙廟 ~ miào). Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Bianjing (汴京) (960–1127) Linan (臨安) (1127–1276) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 960–976 Emperor Taizu  - 1126–1127 Emperor Qinzong  - 1127–1162 Emperor Gaozong  - 1278–1279 Emperor Bing History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou... Xian redirects here. ... Taipei County (Chinese: 台北縣; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tai-pei Hsien; POJ: Tâi-pak-koān) is located in northern Taiwan and encircles Taipei City. ...

Modern depictions

In modern China, the Eight Immortals are still a popular theme in artwork. Paintings, pottery, and statues of the Eight Immortals are still common in households across China, and are even gaining some popularity world wide.

In other media

Several movies about the Eight Immortals have been produced in China in recent years.

The Eight Immortals play an important part in the plot of the video game Fear Effect 2.

In the X-Men comic book, the Eight Immortals appear to protect China along the Collective Man, when the mutant Xorn caused a massacre in one small village. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... The Collective Man is a fictional character, a Chinese superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Xorn is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. ...

References

Further reading

• Lai, T. C., The Eight Immortals (Swindon Book Co., 1972).

External links

• The largest bronze 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Ocean' statue in the world.
• The Eight Immortals by W. Perceval Yetts (1916) in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland pages 773-804

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...