Chinese Myth

八仙过海🔊

Bā Xiān Guò Hǎi
📚 Myths⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This myth tells of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each using their unique abilities.

The Story 🔊

Bā wèi shénxiān yào qù cānjiā pántáo shènghuì
八位Bā wèi🔊神仙shénxiān🔊要去yào qù🔊参加cānjiā🔊蟠桃盛会pántáo shènghuì🔊
Tāmen láidào Dōnghǎi biān xūyào guò hǎi
他们Tāmen🔊来到láidào🔊东海Dōnghǎi🔊biān🔊需要xūyào🔊过海guò hǎi🔊
Lǚ Dòngbīn shuō wǒmen gè xiǎn shéntōng búyòng zuò chuán
吕洞宾Lǚ Dòngbīn🔊shuō🔊我们wǒmen🔊各显gè xiǎn🔊神通shéntōng🔊不用búyòng🔊坐船zuò chuán🔊
Tiěguǎi Lǐ yòng tiěguǎi Hàn Zhōnglí yòng bājiāoshàn
铁拐李Tiěguǎi Lǐ🔊yòng🔊铁拐tiěguǎi🔊汉钟离Hàn Zhōnglí🔊yòng🔊芭蕉扇bājiāoshàn🔊
Bā wèi shénxiān gè xiǎn shéntōng shùnlì dù guò le dàhǎi
八位Bā wèi🔊神仙shénxiān🔊各显gè xiǎn🔊神通shéntōng🔊顺利shùnlì🔊渡过了dù guò le🔊大海dàhǎi🔊
English Translation:
Eight immortals were going to attend the Fairy Peach Banquet. They came to the shore of the Eastern Sea and needed to cross. Lü Dongbin said: "Let each of us show our magical powers, no need to take a boat." Iron-Crutch Li used his iron crutch, Han Zhongli used his palm-leaf fan. The eight immortals each displayed their powers and successfully crossed the sea.

Key Vocabulary

八仙过海
bā xiān guò hǎi
Eight Immortals cross the sea
神仙
shénxiān
immortal
神通
shéntōng
magical power
蟠桃
pántáo
fairy peach
芭蕉扇
bājiāoshàn
palm-leaf fan
各显
gè xiǎn
each display

The Moral

Everyone has their own strengths! This idiom means each person using their unique abilities to achieve a common goal.

Cultural Insight

八仙过海 comes from "Journey to the East" (东游记), and the full phrase is 八仙过海,各显神通.