The Eight Immortals did not emerge as a group until the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368 CE). It is doubtful if they were indeed historical figures. Each of them has a personal mythology traceable to the Han (200 BCE- 220 CE) and Song (960-1279 CE) dynasties. They are also associated with Eight Trigram directions in the Classic of Change or Yijing 易经. Also known as Lü Chunyang 吕纯阳, Lü Dongbin is the most influential of the Eight Immortals. He has a personal cult following and is the Patriarch of the Quanzhen 全真(Perfect Realisation) Sect. He is associated with medicine, interior alchemy and the elixir of life. Believed to have been a bright scholar who lived in the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), he dreamt about the rise and fall of his future official career. Upon waking up, he realized the impermanence of power and status, and decided to seek the Dao from Han Zhongli.
