The Five Immortals and Five Rams of Guangzhou

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 28, 2015.)

The Five Rams Statue in Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou

At the heart of Guangzhou's Yuexiu Park stands a statue of five goats or rams. The story goes like this:

Lu Dongbin, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 2, 2017.)

A bas relief of Lü Dongbin with a fly whisk at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

Having dealt with eighteen popular Buddhist figures, let's next turn to eight Daoist ones.

Li Tieguai, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 9, 2017.)

A bas relief of Li Tieguai with crutch, gourd, and head band; at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

Li Tieguai, or "Iron-Crutch Li," is another extremely popular member of the Daoist "Eight Immortals."

Han Xiangzi, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 16, 2017.)

A bas relief of Han Xiangzi at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

The next member of the Eight Immortals we'll meet is Han Xiangzi, who is often seen with a flute. He may have been the great-nephew of the Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu. The uncle's influence on Chinese literature has been compared to that of Dante, Shakespeare, and Goethe in Italian, English, and German literature.

Zhongli Quan, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on January 23, 2017.)

A bas relief of Zhongli Quan at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

Our next member of the Eight Immortals is Zhongli Quan, sometimes called "Han Zhongli" because he allegedly lived in the Han Dynasty.

Cao Guojiu, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 6, 2017.)

A bas relief of Cao Guojiu with castanets
at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

Cao Guojiu, one of the "Eight Immortals," may have been an historical figure named Cao Yi. Though his designation Guojiu is sometimes translated "Imperial Uncle," it is more likely that--if anything--he was "Imperial Brother-in-Law" to the Song Dynasty Emperor Yingzong.

He Xiangu, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 13, 2017.)

A bas relief of He Xiangu with a flower in her
hair at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

He Xiangu is the only one of the Eight Immortals who is unambiguously a woman. (We will come to understand this better next time.) She is usually seen holding a basket of flowers which in fact (though not in pictures!) has no bottom and no edges, and could hold all of the world's flowers and grasses and still have room for more. Other times she holds a lotus, or a musical instrument. It is said she was born in the Zengcheng District of Guangzhou, during the Tang Dynasty.

Lan Caihe, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 20, 2017.)

A bas relief of Lan Caihe holding a tool for
collecting plants; Tianhou Palace, Chiwan, Shenzhen

Last time, I mentioned that He Xiangu was the only one of the Eight Immortals who was "unambiguously a woman." Lan Caihe may also look like a woman, but his/her gender is rather fluid: he/she may also appear as a young boy. (To simplify matters, we will use the male pronoun.)

Zhang Guolao, Immortal

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on February 27, 2017.)

A bas relief of Zhang Guolao with his donkey and
instrument at the Tianhou Palace in Chiwan, Shenzhen

The last of the Eight Immortals we'll meet is Zhang Guolao, easily recognized by the strange bamboo instrument he usually carries, and the fact that he's often seen riding a donkey--backwards! This donkey can be folded up as a piece of paper, then reconstituted with a spit of water and a clap of the hands.

The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on March 6, 2017.)

A statue of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea in the village plaza in Xiasha Village, Shenzhen

It is likely that each of the Eight Immortals was originally part of a separate tradition. At some point, however, they were brought into the group we now know, and as a result, some stories were told of them in various groupings--and even all together.

Wong Tai Sin

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 7, 2017.)

Stone Sheep at Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong

There once was a shepherd boy named Huang Chuping. From a poor family, he was no stranger to hunger, and began working at eight years old. Seven years later, while tending his sheep near his home in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, he was fortunate enough to meet a Daoist immortal on Red Pine Mountain. This master led him into a cave where he remained practicing for forty years.

Caishen, the "God of Wealth"

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Sep 18, 2017.)

A statue of Caishen, the God of Wealth,
at the Tianhou Temple in Chiwan, Shenzhen

From time to time, one sees images of one of the more popular gods in today's China: Caishen is the "God of Wealth." I first encountered him at the very first temple I found on my own, the Tianhou Temple in Chiwan, Shenzhen.