Eight Immortals
Encyclopedia
The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary xian ("immortals; transcendents; saints") in Chinese mythology
. Each Immortal's power can be transferred to a power tool (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 the Tang Dynasty
or Song Dynasty
. They are revered by the Taoists, and are also a popular element in the secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea
which includes Penglai Mountain-Island
.
The Immortals are:
For their names in Chinese character
s and Wade-Giles
, see the individual pages in the list above.
In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genie
s. First described in the Yuan Dynasty
, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han
.
gained popularity, it quickly picked up this tradition with its own immortals. 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.
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. 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. We can see this importance is only 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. There 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.
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.
The Immortals are the subject of many artistic creations, like painting
s and sculpture
s. Examples of writing
s about them include:
exercises such as the Eight Piece Brocade
. There are some Chinese Martial Arts styles
named after the Eight Immortals which uses fighting techniques that are attributed to the characteristics of each immortal.
, 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 City, Taiwan
, there is a temple called South Palace (南宮), nicknamed Eight Immortal Temple (八仙廟 ~ miào). And in Singapore
, there is a temple called Xian Gu Tian (仙姑殿) worshiping the Eight Immortals with the main deity He Xian Gu.
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.
Several movies about the Eight Immortals have been produced in China in recent years.
In Jackie Chan
's movie "Drunken Master
", there were eight "drunken" Kung Fu forms that were said to be originated from the Eight Immortals. At first the protagonist did not want to learn the Immortal Woman He
form because he saw it as a feminine form but eventually created his own version of that form.
The Eight Immortals play an important part in the plot of the video game Fear Effect 2.
In the Andy Seto
graphic novel series "Saint Legend", the Eight Immortals reappear to protect the Buddhist faith from evil spirits set on destroying it.
In the X-Men
comic book, the Eight Immortals appear to protect China along with the Collective Man
, when the mutant Xorn
caused a massacre in one small village.
In the roleplaying game Feng Shui
, the Eight Immortals appear in the sourcebook Thorns of the Lotus.
The Eight Immortals played a role in the animated show Jackie Chan Adventures
. In the show the Immortals were said to be the ones who defeated the Eight Demon Sorcerers and sealed them away in the netherworld using items that symbolized their powers. They then crafted the Panku box as a key to opening the portals that lead into the demons' prison. Later on the series the items the Immortals used to seal away the demons the first time are revealed to have absorbed some of the demons' chi and become the targets of Drago, the son of Shendu (One of the Demon Sorcerers) to enhance his own powers.
Also in the book: "Cathy's Book" by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman
In The Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan
plays the character Lu Yun, who is one of the eight immortals. This was revealed by the director in the movie's special feature, The Monkey King and The Eight Immortals.
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
. Each Immortal's power can be transferred to a power tool (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 the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
or Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. They are revered by the Taoists, and are also a popular element in the secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of Northeastern and North China. It is approximately 78,000 km2 Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of...
which includes Penglai Mountain-Island
Penglai Mountain
Mount Penglai , or Penglai Island , is a mystical land found in Chinese mythology. The legend also passed into Japan, where it took shape as the legend of .-Location:...
.
The Immortals are:
- Immortal Woman HeImmortal Woman HeNamed Hé Qióng , Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals...
(He Xiangu), - Royal Uncle CaoRoyal Uncle CaoThe newest of the Eight Immortals, Royal Uncle Cao or Cao Guojiu is named one of the following:* Cao Yi * Cao Jing...
(Cao Guojiu), - Iron-Crutch Li (Tieguai Li),
- Lan CaiheLan CaiheLan Caihe is the least defined of the Eight Immortals. Lan Caihe's age and sex are unknown. Lan is usually depicted in sexually ambiguous clothing, but is often shown as a young boy or girl carrying a bamboo flower basket.Stories of Lan's behaviour are often bizarrely eccentric...
, - Lü DongbinLü DongbinLǚ Dòngbīn is a historical figure and also a deity/Immortal revered by many in the Chinese culture sphere, especially by Daoists/Taoists. Lǚ Dòngbīn is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals and considered by some to be the de facto leader...
, (leader) - Philosopher Han Xiang (Han Xiang Zi),
- Elder Zhang GuoElder Zhang Guo"Elder Zhang Guo" or "Zhang Guo Lao" is one of the Eight Immortals. Of the Eight Immortals he, along with Chung-li Ch'uan and Lu Yen, was a real historical figure; the rest exist only in legend...
(Zhang Guo Lao), and - Han Zhongli (Zhongli Quan).
For their names in Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
s and Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
, see the individual pages in the list above.
In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genie
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
s. First described in the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han
Eight Immortals of Huainan
The Eight Immortals of Huainan , also known as the Eight Gentlemen , were the eight scholars under the patronage of Liu An , the prince of Huainan during the Western Han Dynasty. They are not deified in any religions and the xian "immortal" is used metaphorically to describe their talent...
.
In art
The tradition of depicting humans who have become immortals is an ancient practice in Chinese art, and when religious TaoismTaoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
gained popularity, it quickly picked up this tradition with its own immortals. While cults dedicated to various Taoist immortals date back to the Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, the popular and well known Eight Immortals first appeared in the Jin dynasty
Jin Dynasty, 1115–1234
The Jīn Dynasty ; Khitan language: Nik, Niku; ; 1115–1234), also known as the Jurchen Dynasty, was founded by the Wanyan clan of the Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later...
(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.
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
Celadon
Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both a type of glaze and a ware of a specific color, also called celadon. This type of ware was invented in ancient China, such as in the Zhejiang province...
vases. They were also common in sculptures owned by the nobility. Their most common appearance, however, was in paintings. 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. We can see this importance is only heightened in the Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing dynasties. During these dynasties, the Eight Immortals are very frequently associated with other prominent spiritual deities in artwork. There 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.
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.
In literature
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s. Examples of writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
s about them include:
- 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》 chéng 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 DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. - 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 oceanOceanAn ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
. 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.
In Qigong and Chinese Martial Arts
The Eight Immortals have been linked to the initial development of qigongQigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
exercises such as the Eight Piece Brocade
Baduanjin qigong
The Baduanjin is one of the most common forms of Chinese qigong used as exercise. Variously translated as Eight Pieces of Brocade, Eight Section Brocade, Eight Silken Movements and others, the name of the form generally refers to how the eight individual movements of the form characterize and...
. There are some Chinese Martial Arts styles
Styles of Chinese martial arts
Hundreds of different styles of Chinese martial arts exist, many distinctive styles with their own sets of techniques and ideas. There are themes common which allows them to be group according to generalized "families" , "sects" , "class" , or "schools" of martial art styles...
named after the Eight Immortals which uses fighting techniques that are attributed to the characteristics of each immortal.
Reverence
Established in the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, the Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
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 City, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, there is a temple called South Palace (南宮), nicknamed Eight Immortal Temple (八仙廟 ~ miào). And in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, there is a temple called Xian Gu Tian (仙姑殿) worshiping the Eight Immortals with the main deity He Xian Gu.
Modern depictions
Several movies about the Eight Immortals have been produced in China in recent years.
In Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
's movie "Drunken Master
Drunken Master
Drunken Master, also known as Drunk Monkey In The Tiger's Eye, is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang Lee...
", there were eight "drunken" Kung Fu forms that were said to be originated from the Eight Immortals. At first the protagonist did not want to learn the Immortal Woman He
Immortal Woman He
Named Hé Qióng , Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals...
form because he saw it as a feminine form but eventually created his own version of that form.
The Eight Immortals play an important part in the plot of the video game Fear Effect 2.
In the Andy Seto
Andy Seto
Andy Seto is a comic artist who specializes in martial-arts based stories.-Biography:Seto's works include his main series, "Cyber Weapon Z." He has also drawn a graphic novel adaptation of the earlier Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon novels, the King of Fighters series, and also created a graphic...
graphic novel series "Saint Legend", the Eight Immortals reappear to protect the Buddhist faith from evil spirits set on destroying it.
In the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
comic book, the Eight Immortals appear to protect China along with the Collective Man
Collective Man
The Collective Man is a fictional character, a Chinese superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. The Collective Man is actually an identity shared by the Tao-Yu brothers, a set of quintuplets. They possess the mutant power to merge into one body, which variously possesses the collective abilities...
, when the mutant Xorn
Xorn
Xorn is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. First appearing in New X-Men Annual 2001, Xorn was a new addition to the X-Men membership during writer Grant Morrison's revamp of the franchise....
caused a massacre in one small village.
In the roleplaying game Feng Shui
Feng Shui (role-playing game)
Feng Shui is a martial arts-themed role-playing game, designed by Robin Laws, published first by Daedalus Entertainment and now by Atlas Games. The game shares its setting with the collectible card game Shadowfist. The system is simple, with most detail being in the game's combat system. Combat...
, the Eight Immortals appear in the sourcebook Thorns of the Lotus.
The Eight Immortals played a role in the animated show Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures is an animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan. Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB! from September 9, 2000 to July 7, 2005 for a total of 95...
. In the show the Immortals were said to be the ones who defeated the Eight Demon Sorcerers and sealed them away in the netherworld using items that symbolized their powers. They then crafted the Panku box as a key to opening the portals that lead into the demons' prison. Later on the series the items the Immortals used to seal away the demons the first time are revealed to have absorbed some of the demons' chi and become the targets of Drago, the son of Shendu (One of the Demon Sorcerers) to enhance his own powers.
Also in the book: "Cathy's Book" by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman
In The Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
plays the character Lu Yun, who is one of the eight immortals. This was revealed by the director in the movie's special feature, The Monkey King and The Eight Immortals.