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The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary <i>xian</i> (immortals) in Chinese mythology, folk religion and Taoism. The Eight Immortals are believed to have been born in either the Tang or Song Dynasty, though they were first described in the Yuan Dynasty, most likely named after the Eight Immortals Scholars of the Han.<br/><br/> The names of the Immortals were: He Xiangu; Cao Guojiu; Li Tieguai; Lan Caihe; Lu Dongbin; Han Xiangzi; Zhang Guolao; and Zhongli Quan. They were each said to have in their possession a tool with which they could transfer their power to and either bestow life or destroy evil, known as the 'Covert Eight Immortals'. They were believed to have lived on a group of five islands, including Penglai Mountain-Island, in the Bohai Sea.<br/><br/> The Eight Immortals are considered signs of longevity and prosperity, and are very popular in art and literature. They are a commonly seen element in secular Chinese culture and revered by Taoists, with many shrines dedicated to them scattered throughout China, Taiwan and Singapore.
Tani Bunchō (谷 文晁, October 15, 1763 - January 6, 1841) was a Japanese literatus (bunjin) painter and poet. He was the son of the poet Tani Rokkoku (1729–1809). As his family were retainers of the Tayasu Family, descendents of the eighth Tokugawa shogun, Bunchō inherited samurai status and received a stipend to meet the responsibilities this entailed.<br/><br/> In his youth he began studying the painting techniques of the Kanō school under Katō Bunrei (1706–82). After Bunrei's death, Bunchō worked with masters of other schools, such as the literati painter Kitayama Kangen (1767–1801), and developed a wide stylistic range that included many Chinese, Japanese and European idioms.<br/><br/> He rose to particular prominence as the retainer of Matsudaira Sadanobu (1759–1829), genetic son of the Tayasu who was adopted into the Matsudaira family before becoming chief senior councilor (rōju shuza; 老中首座) of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1787.<br/><br/> Bunchō is best known for his idealized landscapes in the literati style (Nanga or Bunjinga). Unlike most bunjinga painters of his time, however, Bunchō was an extremely eclectic artist, painting idealized Chinese landscapes, actual Japanese sites, and poetically-inspired traditional scenery. He also painted portraits of his contemporaries, as well as imagined images of such Chinese literati heroes as Su Shi and Tao Yuanming.
Kameda Bōsai (亀田鵬斎, 1752–1826) was a Japanese literati painter (nanga in Japanese). He originally trained as a Confucian scholar, but spent the second half of his life as a literati and artist. The book 'Mountains of the Heart' contains many of his most famous paintings.
Ono Ranzan (小野蘭山) worked as an herbalist in the mid-Edo period. Herbalism is an ancient Chinese study involving research into plants and minerals, focusing on their importance for medicinal usage.<br/><br/> Ranzan published Japan’s most comprehensive literature on herbalism, 'Honzo Koumoku Keimou (Enlightenment for Compendium of Materia Medica)' in 1803 and he is known to have contributed later to the expansion of natural history.<br/><br/> He died in 1810 and his grave was built in Geisetsuin graveyard in Asakusa, but due to the impact of the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was moved to Nerima in 1927.
Kimura Kenkadoh or Kenkado (木村蒹葭堂, 1736-1802) was born the descendant of a wealthy sake brewer. He was well informed, especially in natural history. He studied Dutch and Latin, becoming a writer and a painter. His name became a synonym for extensive learning and versatile talent.<br/><br/> He was friendly with many writers and artists and his residence became a meeting palce for contemporaneous literati.