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Japan: 'The Daoist Immortal Huang Chuping', a Muromachi period drawing by Kano Motonobu, 16th century. Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu

Japan: 'The Daoist Immortal Huang Chuping', a Muromachi period drawing by Kano Motonobu, 16th century. Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu

Huang Chuping, sometimes known as Wong Cho Ping, was the human form of the Chinese Daoist deity Huang Daxian, also known as Wong Tai Sin. The name Huang Daxian translates as 'Great Immortal Huang (Wong)'.

Huang Chuping was a Daoist hermit from Zheijang, born in 238 CE, though some Western sources list his birth as c. 284 to 364 CE. Huang Chuping was said to have experienced great hunger and poverty in his youth, becoming a shepherd by his eighth birthday. One day, when he was fifteen years old, he met an immortal on Red Pine Mountain, and began practising Daoism as a result. After forty years, he was able to transform stones into sheep, and eventually became known as the Red Pine Immortal.

Worship of him is popular in Jinhua, Zhejiang and Hong Kong, where he is often prayed to for his powers of healing.

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