Liu Haichan
Liu Haichan 劉海蟾, Liu Hai, or Haichanzi 海蟾子 "Master Sea-Toad" is a (c. 10th century) Daoist xian "transcendent; immortal" who is a patriarch of the Quanzhen School, and a master of neidan "internal alchemy" techniques. Liu Haichan is associated with other Daoist transcendents, especially Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, two of the Eight Immortals. Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represented Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chánchú 蟾蜍 "toad; toad in the moon". In the present day, it is called the jīnchán 金蟾 "Money Toad", and Liu Haichan is considered an embodiment of Caishen "God of Wealth".
Liu Haichan is known by many names. Liu is a common Chinese family name, notably for the Han dynasty imperial family. Haichan combines hǎi "sea; ocean; huge group (of people/things)" and chán "toad", used in the compound chánchú 蟾蜍 (蟾諸 or 詹諸) "toad; fabled toad in the moon". One source, the (early 17th century) Lidai Shenxian tongjian 歷代神仙通鑒 "Complete Historical Record of Immortals" takes Liuhai 劉海 as a Chinese compound surname, but that is otherwise unsupported (Doré 1914 9: 64). Liu's given name was Cao 操 "grasp; conduct", which he later changed to Xuanying 玄英 "mysterious blossom". Han Zhao Emperor Liu Cong (d. 318) had a son also named Liu Cao 劉操, who became Prince of Wei in 312. Liu Haichan's courtesy names were Zongcheng 宗成, Zhaoyuan 昭元, and Zhaoyuan 昭遠. Liu's Daoist philosophical name is Haichanzi 海蟾子 "Master Sea-Toad". In later generations, he was simply called Liu Hai 劉海.
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