Which Taoist immortal is depicted with a flower basket?
Answer
Lan Caihe
Answer
Lan Caihe
Which Taoist immortal is depicted with a flower basket? Lan Caihe is the Taoist immortal depicted with a flower basket.
Lan Caihe is one of the Eight Immortals and is traditionally associated with flowers, gardening, and florists. The immortal’s emblem is a basket filled with flowers, although artistic portrayals vary. Lan may appear as a young person in tattered clothing, sometimes carrying musical clappers instead.
Lan Caihe is unusual among the Eight Immortals because the character’s gender is ambiguous. Older images may present Lan as female, while later depictions can look masculine or deliberately androgynous. Legends usually place Lan’s life in the Tang dynasty, portraying a wandering street performer who sang philosophical songs and lived outside ordinary society.
Stories of Lan’s transformation differ. In one version, Lan becomes drunk in a tavern and ascends to Heaven on a cloud or celestial bird, leaving clothing and a shoe behind. Another tale says Lan helped a sick beggar who was actually Li Tieguai, another immortal. The flower basket is often confused with He Xiangu’s lotus, but they are distinct emblems.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026