Anqi Sheng was a legendary Chinese immortal

Xian (Taoism)

Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...

, said to be already 1,000 years old at the time of Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang , personal name Ying Zheng , was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 246 BC to 221 BC during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BC...

, the first emperor.

He was said to inhabit Mount Penglai. Anqi appears to have been a magician, and possessed the power of rendering himself visible or invisible at pleasure. According to the Liexian Zhuan

Liexian Zhuan

The Liexian Zhuan , edited by Liu Xiang , was the first Daoist hagiography. This collection of legendary xian biographies preceded the Shenxian zhuan attributed to Ge Hong .Like Liu Xiang's book the Lienü zhuan, the Liexian zhuan follows the lièzhuàn...

, Qin Shi Huang spoke with him for three entire days (including nights), and offered Anqi jade and gold. He later sent an expedition under Xu Fu

Xu Fu

Xú Fú ; was born in 255 BC in Qi, and served as a court sorcerer in Qin Dynasty China. He was sent by Qin Shi Huang to the eastern seas twice to look for the elixir of life. His two journeys occurred between 219 BC and 210 BC. It was believed that the fleet included 60 barques and around 5,000 crew...

 to find him and his highly sought elixir of life

Elixir of life

The elixir of life, also known as the elixir of immortality and sometimes equated with the philosopher's stone, is a legendary potion, or drink, that grants the drinker eternal life and or eternal youth. Many practitioners of alchemy pursued it. The elixir of life was also said to be able to create...

. The Records of the Grand Historian

Records of the Grand Historian

The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...

chronicles that Li Shaojun visited him during his travels. Emperor Wu of Han

Emperor Wu of Han

Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...

 also sent an expedition to find Anqi, which proved unsuccessful.

Anqi holds an important place in the Taiqing and Shangqing School

Shangqing School

The Shangqing School or Supreme Clarity is a Daoist movement that began during the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty. Shangqing can be translated as either 'Supreme Clarity' or 'Highest Clarity.' The first leader of the school was Wei Huacun , but Tao Hongjing, who structured the theory and...

s.