Baxian

▪ Daoism

Wade-Giles  romanization Pa Hsien , English  Eight Immortals 

 heterogeneous group of holy Daoists (Daoism), each of whom earned the right to immortality and had free access to the Peach Festival of Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West. Though unacquainted in real life, the eight are frequently depicted as a group—bearing gifts, for instance, to Shouxing, god of longevity, to safeguard their immortality.

      In Chinese art they sometimes also stand alone or appear in smaller groups. Four of them, for example, may be depicted reclining beneath a pine tree—with Zhongli Quan (Chung-li Ch'üan) and Lü Dongbin (Lü Tung-pin) drinking wine heated by Li Tieguai (Li T'ieh-kuai) while Lan Caihe (Lan Ts'ai-ho) entertains them on a flute. Lists vary, but the other four immortals are usually identified as Zhang Guolao (Chang Kuo-lao), Han Xiang (Han Hsiang), Cao Guojiu (Ts'ao Kuo-chiu), and He Xiangu (Ho Hsien-ku).

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