Fangzhang Island
| Mount Penglai | |
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"The Immortal Island of Penglai", by Chinese artist Yuan Jiang (1708), held by Palace Museum
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| Genre | Chinese mythology |
| Type | Legendary island of immortals, Otherworld |
| Notable characters | The Eight Immortals |
| Mount Penglai | |||||||||||
.svg)
"Penglai" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 蓬萊仙島 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 蓬莱仙岛 | ||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||
| Kanji | 蓬莱 | ||||||||||
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Penglai is a legendary land of Chinese mythology. It is known in Japanese mythology as Hōrai.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the mountain is said to be on an island in the eastern end of Bohai Sea, along with four other islands where the immortals lived, called Fāngzhàng (方丈), Yíngzhōu (瀛州), Dàiyú (岱輿), and Yuánjiāo (員嬌).
Various theories have been offered over the years as to the "real" location of these places, including Japan, Jejudo south of the Korean Peninsula, and Taiwan. Penglai, Shandong exists, but its claimed connection is as the site of departures for those leaving for the island rather than the island itself.
In Chinese mythology, the mountain is often said to be the base for the Eight Immortals, or at least where they travel to have a banquet, as well as the magician Anqi Sheng. Supposedly, everything on the mountain seems white, while its palaces are made from gold and platinum, and jewelry grows on trees.
There is no pain and no winter; there are rice bowls and wine glasses that never become empty no matter how much people eat or drink from them; and there are magical fruits growing in Penglai that can heal any disease, grant eternal youth, and even raise the dead.
Historically, Qin Shi Huang, in search of the elixir of life, made several attempts to find the island where the mountain is located, to no avail. Legends tell that Xu Fu, one servant sent to find the island, found Japan instead, and named Mount Fuji as Penglai.
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Wikipedia