What flower is the Eight Immortal He Xiangu often shown holding? A lotus.
He Xiangu is one of the Eight Immortals of Daoist tradition and is commonly depicted as the group’s female immortal. Her lotus is more than a decorative attribute: traditional accounts associate it with health, purity, and spiritual refinement. Some images show the blossom open in her hand, while others portray her with a sheng instrument, bamboo ladle, fly-whisk, or phoenix.
Legendary accounts place He Xiangu in the Tang dynasty, although different stories give her birthplace as areas in present-day Hunan or Guangdong. One popular tale says that she ate powdered mica after receiving supernatural instructions and eventually became immortal. Another says she ascended to Heaven during the Jinglong era, dated 707–710 CE.
The lotus can be confused with the peony or plum blossom, both important flowers in Chinese art. In He Xiangu’s standard iconography, however, the lotus is the identifying flower and symbolizes the qualities traditionally connected with her healing and virtuous nature.