Chinese New Year is the time for huge celebrations. A time of fireworks and games, and people enjoying meals together and honoring gods and ancestors. Even the economy takes a break: family members make every effort they can to spend the holidays together.
The New Year or Spring Festival is China’s main holiday, with celebrations lasting fifteen days. An important part of the festivities is honoring the ancestors, gods and saints. The most popular mythical figures are the Eight Immortals that are often depicted together on a mountain. Pa Hsien is the Chinese name of these saints; a Hsien is a person that spends his life living as a hermit in the mountains. Especially in North China the Immortals receive a great deal of attention. Pictures of the Immortals are placed above tables full of offerings and are united by a plant that is said to have stimulating powers.
People become immortal
The composition of the Eight Immortals has changed more than once over the centuries and the currently known ensemble came into being in the nineteenth century. The first one to become immortal was Li Tieguai. He is represented with an iron crutch because he took over the body of a cripple vagabond.
Zhong-li Quan was the second one and he is a bold, fat little man with a long beard and a fan made of feathers. Lü Dongbin was the third one to receive immortality. He fought aggression, ignorance and passion. Lü took on a student, Han Xiang, who reached immortality by falling to his death. He is usually depicted with flowers. Immortal number five was court official Cao Guojiu, who went to the mountains to live as a recluse because he was disappointed in life. Zhang Guolao is next. This old man, sitting on a white donkey, was the protector of the recently wed and childless couples. Lan Caihe is number seven; he was made immortal by Li Tieguai because she looked after him. The last one, He Xiang, became immortal by eating a piece of mother of pearl. This saint is also a woman; she can be recognized by a lotus flower.
Origins of the Eight
As legend has it, the Eight Immortals all lived in different periods of time. It is not known why, when or how they came together. Stories about these mythical characters were not written down until the seventh century but before that, they were passed on from one generation to the next by oral tradition. According to these tales the Immortals frequently visited the earth, where they didn’t exactly behave as saints… The exciting adventures of these rebel saints gained a lot of popularity in a culture that did not approve of irresponsible and odd behavior. The Eight were like heroes that did everything normal human beings would have liked to do but weren’t allowed to. Another reason for their huge popularity, even today, is their fame. The whole population would be acquainted with the Immortals early on in life. For example, the Eight had to be present on an individual’s fiftieth birthday for good luck. Rich people received visits from the mythological figures in the form of actors. Poor people would receive pictures of the Immortals to wish them luck.
Popular representations
Because of their popularity, the mythical Eight can still be found in all sorts of representations, like pictures on porcelain or wood carvings, but also as utensils. The Chessmen Museum owns a couple of beautiful Chinese chess sets, one of which is made of ivory. The elegant pieces of these sets are representations of the Eight Immortals.
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