Myths and Legends

Lan Caihe

Lan Caihe is one of the Eight Immortals in Daoism and is one of the lesser known members of this particular group. Now Lan Caihe's description is a bit muddled. They are described to be a young woman, an old man dressed as a woman, and/or a intersex person. 

 They are also figures of popular myth and legend that are known for their devotion to the downtrodden and their collective lifestyle of "free and easy wandering". Lan Caihe is consistently described as an eccentric (possibly insane) wanderer, traveling from town to town and making their living through song and dance. Though they accepted coins for their performances, they would often tie them to a string and drag them through the street, or would give them to the needy. If they needed to sleep, they would retire to a field or collapse in the middle of an inn; if hungry, they would earn enough for a meal (and a bottle or two of wine). In this way,they exemplified the lifestyle idealized by Zhuangzi—living at peace with oneself without any regard for earthly concerns and categories.

It is stressed that the typical Daoist positions on the necessity of worldly change, naturalness of age and death, and the futility of attachment to a particular corporeal reality.

Given his association with philosophical Daoist teachings and lifestyles, it is perhaps unsurprising that the tale of his/her ascension is less than detailed. In most accounts, Lan wakes up, sings for their dinner, and, having made a sufficient sum, retires to a nearby tavern to eat and drink. Suddenly, they hear the sound of a giant stork's wings as it settles upon his table. Realizing that his time in the world is nearing its conclusion, they leaps upon the bird's back and disappears into the sky. Intriguingly, this lack of detail seems oddly appropriate, as Lan Caihe's liminal status implies that they was never entirely "of this world" to begin with.