A Fairy Tale: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea
A Fairy Tale: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

The stories of the Eight Taoist Immortals were first recorded in the Tang Dynasty, but the figures were not fully developed until the Ming Dynasty. According to the stories, they had great supernatural skills and power. The story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea first appeared in “Biography of the Eight Immortals by Wu Yuantai of the Ming Dynasty. Once the Eight Immortals have to cross the raging East Sea on their way to an assembly. Upon the proposal of Lu Dongbin, each of them uses his own skills and power to do it. Han Zhongli with his palm-leaf fan, Li Tieguai his calabash containing elixir of life, Lu Dongbin his sword, Zhang Guolao his paper donkey on which he sits backward, Lan Caihe his flower basket, Han Xiangzi his jade flute, Royal Uncle Cao his jade tablet, and Immortal woman He her lotus flower. All of them successfully reach the other side of the sea. “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Each Showing His or Her Magic Power” has been a household story in China.

A Fairy Tale: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

A Fairy Tale: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

Stamp Title: (A Fairy Tale) Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea
Serial number: 2004-15
Values in set: 1
Denomination: 600 fen
Date of issue: July 30, 2004
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of S/S stamp: 110*60mm
Size of S/S: 156*82mm
Perforation: 12
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

Knowing China Through Chinese Stamps.
2004年小型张《神话 – 八仙过海》
国家邮政局2004年7月30日发行小型张《神话——八仙过海》。
（1-1）T 神话–八仙过海 6元 930万枚
志号：2004-15
邮票规格：110×60毫米（异形）
小型张规格：156×82毫米
齿孔度数：12度
版别：影写版
防伪方式：防伪纸张、防伪油墨、异形齿孔、荧光喷码
设计者：王虎鸣
原画作者：张孝友
印制厂：北京邮票厂

中国邮政定于2004年7月30日发行《神话-八仙过海》小型张1套1枚。

八仙为道教传说中八位神仙的合称，唐代即有记载，但至明代才确定了现在这组形象。在神话中这八位神仙道术极深，法力无边。八仙过海的故事最早见于明吴元泰所著《上洞八仙传》：一次外出赴会，见波涛汹涌，在吕洞宾的提议下众仙各施道法过海，汉钟离用芭蕉扇，铁拐李用装仙丹的大葫芦，吕洞宾用其宝剑，张果老倒骑着一匹纸驴，蓝采和提着花篮，韩湘子举着玉笛，曹国舅执板，何仙姑擎荷花，—-逐浪而渡。以此“八仙过海，各显神通”便成为家喻户晓的故事。