The Eight Immortals (Chinese Chinese or the Sinitic language (汉语／漢語 Hànyǔ; 华语／華語 Huáyǔ; 中文 Zhōngwén) is a language family consisting of languages which are mostly mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages: 八仙; pinyin Pinyin , or more formally Hanyu Pinyin (汉语拼音 / 漢語拼音), is currently the most commonly used romanization system for Standard Mandarin (标准普通话 / 標準普通話). Hànyǔ (汉语 / 漢語) means the Chinese language, and pīnyīn (拼音) means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or ": Bāxiān; Wade-Giles Wade–Giles was the only system of transcription in the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, used in several standard reference books and in all books about China published before 1979. It replaced the Nanjing-based romanization systems that had been common until late in the 19th century. It has mostly been replaced by the pinyin: Pa-hsien) are a group of legendary xian Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and Tai Chi Chuan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality" ("immortals; transcendents; fairies") in 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. Like many mythologies, it has in the past been believed to be, at least in part, a factual. 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 The Tang Dynasty (June 18, 618–June 4, 907) 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 (李) family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty (October 16, or 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 permanent standing navy. This dynasty also saw the first. They are revered by the Taoists Taoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia for more than two millennia, and have had a notable influence on the western world particularly since the 19th century. The word 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme), roughly translates as, "path" or "way&, and are also a popular element in the secular Chinese culture The Culture of China is one of the world's oldest and most complex cultures. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces. They are said to live on Penglai Mountain-Island According to Shan Hai Jing, the mountain is said to be on an island in the eastern end of Bohai Sea, along with four other islands where the immortals lived, called Fāngzhàng , Yíngzhōu (瀛州), Dàiyú (岱輿), and Yuánjiāo (員嬌).

The Immortals are:

• Immortal Woman He Named Hé Qióng , Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu (何仙姑 Hé Xiān Gū in pinyin or Ho Hsien-ku in Wade-Giles) is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals. (The gender of her fellow Immortal Lán Cǎihé is somewhat ambiguous) (He Xiangu),
• Royal Uncle Cao He was said to be the uncle of the Emperor of the Song Empire, being the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cao (Cao Guojiu),
• Iron-Crutch Li Iron-Crutch Li is sometimes said to be the most ancient and popular of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon. He is sometimes described as irascible and ill-tempered, but also benevolent to the poor, sick and the needy, whose suffering he alleviates with special medicine from his gourd (calabash ). He is often portrayed as an ugly old man (Li Tieguai),
• Lan Caihe Lan 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,
• Lü Dongbin Lǚ Dòngbīn (spelled Lu Tung-Pin in Wade-Giles) 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. (The formal leader is, (leader)
• Philosopher Han Xiang One of the Eight Immortals, Philosopher Han Xiang or Han Xiang Zi, in Wade-Giles as Han Hsiang Tzu, was born Han Xiang during the Tang Dynasty, and his courtesy name is Qingfu (清夫 qīng fū). He is said to be the nephew or grandson of Han Yu, a prominent statesman of Tang Court. Han Xiang studied Daoism under Lü Dongbin. Once at a banquet by (Han Xiang Zi),
• Elder 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. His existence is said to have begun around the middle or end of the seventh century A.D., and ended approximately in the middle of the (Zhang Guo Lao), and
• Zhongli Quan Zhongli Quan is one of the most ancient of the Eight Immortals (some others say the oldest is Iron-crutch Li or Elder Zhang Guo, or Lü Dongbin) and the leader of the group. (Some people consider Lü Dongbin to be an informal leader.) He is also known as Zhongli of Han (Han Zhongli 漢鐘離) because he was said to be born during the Han Dynasty.

For their names in Chinese characters A Chinese character, also known as a Han character , is a logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi), Japanese (kanji), less frequently Korean (hanja), and formerly Vietnamese (hán tự), and other languages. Chinese characters are also known as sinographs, and the Chinese writing system as sinography. Chinese characters represent the oldest and Wade-Giles Wade–Giles was the only system of transcription in the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, used in several standard reference books and in all books about China published before 1979. It replaced the Nanjing-based romanization systems that had been common until late in the 19th century. It has mostly been replaced by the pinyin, see the individual pages in the list above.

In literature before the 1970s, they were sometimes translated as the Eight Genies GEnie was an online service created by a General Electric business - GEIS (now GXS) that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around 350,000 users. Peak simultaneous usage was around 10,000 users. It was one of the pioneering services in the field, though eventually replaced by the Internet and graphics-based services,. First described in the Yuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty , Mongolian: Dai Ön Ulus/Дай Юан Улс), or Great Yuan Empire (simplified Chinese: 大元帝国; traditional Chinese: 大元帝國; pinyin: Dà Yuán Dìguó) was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the, they were probably named after the Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han The Eight Immortals of Huainan , also known as the Eight Gentlemen (八公 bāgōng), were the eight scholars under the patronage of Liu An (劉安 Liú Ān), 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. Together, they.

In art

The tradition of depicting humans who have become immortals is an ancient practice in Chinese art, and when religious Taoism Taoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia for more than two millennia, and have had a notable influence on the western world particularly since the 19th century. The word 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme), roughly translates as, "path" or "way& 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 Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms (220–265 CE). It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang. This, 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 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, primarily in Zhejiang Province 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 is only heightened in the Ming dynasty The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming (simplified Chinese: 大明国; traditional Chinese: 大明國; pinyin: Dà Míng Guó, also anachronistically simplified Chinese: 大明帝国; traditional Chinese: 大明帝國; pinyin: Dà Míng Dìguó), was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led and Qing dynasties The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 (with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917). It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China. 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 Lǚ Dòngbīn (spelled Lu Tung-Pin in Wade-Giles) 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. (The formal leader is, which is the story of how Lǚ Dòngbīn met Zhongli Quan and began his path to immortality.^[1]

In literature

The Immortals are the subject of many artistic creations, like paintings 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 may be used. In art the term describes both the act and the result which is called a painting. Paintings may have for their support such surfaces as walls, paper, and sculptures Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials, typically stone such as marble, metal, glass, or wood, or plastic materials such as clay, textiles, polymers and softer metals. The term has been extended to works including sound, text and light. Examples of writings 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 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 Dynasty The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming (simplified Chinese: 大明国; traditional Chinese: 大明國; pinyin: Dà Míng Guó, also anachronistically simplified Chinese: 大明帝国; traditional Chinese: 大明帝國; pinyin: Dà Míng Dìguó), was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led.
• 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 An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface (~3.61 X 1014 m2) is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas. 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.

Reverence

Established in the 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 permanent standing navy. This dynasty also saw the first, the Xi'an Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade-Giles: Hsi-An; literally "Western Peace"; Postal map spelling: Sian; historically known as Cháng'ān), is the capital of the Shaanxi province in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city. As one of the oldest cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient 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 Taipei City is the largest city of Taiwan and the capital of the Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan"). Situated at the tip of northern Taiwan, Taipei is located on the Danshui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean. Another coastal city, Danshui, is about 20 km northwest at the river's, Taiwan Taiwan, also known as Formosa , is an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It has comprised most (99%) of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) since the 1950s. The term "Taiwan" has also become a commonly used alternative name both domestically and, there is a temple called South Palace (南宮), nicknamed Eight Immortal Temple (八仙廟 ~ miào). And in Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. A, there is a temple called Xian Gu Tian (仙姑殿) worshiping the Eight Immortals with the main deity He Xian Gu.

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.

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

In Jackie Chan Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong-born actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer's movie "Drunken Master Drunken Master is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu Tien, and Hwang Jang Lee. The film was a success at the Hong Kong box office, earning two and a half times the amount of Chan's previous film, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, which was also considered a successful film. It", there were eight "drunken" Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu (Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: gōngfu), are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" (家, jiā), "sects& forms that were said to be originated from the Eight Immortals. At first the protagonist didn't want to learn the Immortal Woman He Named Hé Qióng , Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu (何仙姑 Hé Xiān Gū in pinyin or Ho Hsien-ku in Wade-Giles) is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals. (The gender of her fellow Immortal Lán Cǎihé is somewhat ambiguous) 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 Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is a 2001 video game for the PlayStation. It was developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive. Fear Effect 2 is a prequel chronicling the events that lead up to the original Fear Effect.

In the Andy Seto Andy Seto is a comic artist who specializes in martial-arts based stories 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 The X-Men are a superhero team in the Marvel Comics Universe. They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1 . The basic concept of the X-Men is that under a cloud of increasing anti-mutant sentiment, Professor Xavier created a haven at his Westchester mansion to train young mutants to use their comic book, the Eight Immortals appear to protect China along with the Collective Man, when the mutant 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.

The Eight Immortals played a role in the animated show: Jackie Chan Adventures.

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.

See also

• Ashtamangala Ashtamangala are a sacred suite of Eight Auspicious Signs endemic to a number of Dharmic Traditions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. The symbols or 'symbolic attributes' are yidam and teaching tools. Not only do these attributes, these energetic signatures, point to qualities of enlightened mindstream, but they are the investiture

References

1. ^ Stephen Little: "Taoism and the Arts of China", page 313, 319-334. The Art Institute of Chicago, 200

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
• China Travel Guide - Penglai Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Scenic Area

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