The Eight Immortals (Chinese Chinese or the Sinitic language (汉语／漢語 Hànyǔ; 华语／華語 Huáyǔ; 中国话／中國話 Zhōngguóhuà; 中文 Zhōngwén) is a language family consisting of languages mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan: 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. Hànyǔ (汉语 / 漢語) means the Chinese language, and Pīnyīn (拼音) means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound". The system is now: Bāxiān; Wade-Giles Wade–Giles was the main 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 It has mostly been replaced by the pinyin: Pa-hsien) are a group of legendary xian Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality;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 since the 19th century. The word 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme), literally translated 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 and Wade-Giles Wade–Giles was the main 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 In Arabic, a Djinn is a supernatural creature which occupies a parallel world to that of mankind, and together with humans and angels makes up the three sentient creations of God (Allah). Possessing free will, a djinn can be either good or evil. 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.
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Maurice Robertson
Sat, 09 May 2009 11:17:46 GM
China's political landscape may have changed dramatically in recent history, but some things never change. "The . Eight Immortals. continue on the journey of Chinese culture.
