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Zhang Guolao (Venerable Zhang Guo)

Zhang Guolao possessed the most magical powers of the Eight Immortals, and is linked to a historical figure of the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.) who did indeed follow Daoism. He is depicted as an old man, hence the suffix ’lao’ meaning old and respected, and rides a white donkey capable of covering thousands of kilometers in a single day. When they stopped to rest, Zhang Guolao would fold the donkey up like a piece of paper and put it in a box. By spraying it with water from his mouth, he could tum it back into a real donkey.

According to the various stories about him, he was a sorcerer who lived in the Zhongtiao Mountains during the Tang Dynasty, about 1300 years ago. He was repeatedly asked to serve as a high official, but was viewed by many as a fraud. Zhang Guolao claimed to have been born over 4000 years ago. He fmally agreed to serve Emperor Xuanzong (685 -762 A.D.), but when the emperor saw him, he thought Zhang Guolao looked far too old to be an immortal. Zhang Guolao promptly knocked out his teeth, and pulled out his hair, causing the emperor considerable distress. After resting for a while, Zhang Guolao returned with white teeth, black hair, and looked no more than fifty.

There are many other tales of tricks he played on Emperor Xuanzong, but despite offers of marriage and high salaries, Zhang Guolao had to leave the palace before he was found out as a fraud. Feigning old age and ill health, he excused himself from court, and when the Emperor sent for him again, he pretended to be dead, and had his disciples bury his body. When the emperor’s envoy opened the coffm, it was found to be empty, and people believed this was proof he had attained immortality.