Shouxing is the Taoist deity traditionally associated with longevity and shown as an old man with a peach.
Shouxing, also called the God of Longevity, is one of the most recognizable figures in Chinese religious art and popular culture. He is commonly depicted with a very high, rounded forehead, a staff, and a peach, the fruit associated with long life. Sometimes he carries a gourd or is accompanied by a deer or crane, which are also symbols of longevity.
The figure developed from the worship of stellar deities and the southern star associated with the length of human life. In later tradition, Shouxing became one of the Three Star Gods, or Fu Lu Shou: the gods of happiness, status or prosperity, and longevity.
Shouxing is not the same figure as Caishen, the god of wealth, or the Jade Emperor, the heavenly ruler in many Taoist traditions. His appearance in birthday paintings and gifts reflects a cultural wish for a long and healthy life rather than a single standardized doctrine shared by every Taoist school.