Which Taoist immortal is known for riding a donkey backwards?

The Taoist immortal known for riding a donkey backwards is Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals. He is usually shown as an elderly man seated facing the donkey’s tail, a striking image that makes him especially easy to identify in Chinese art.

Zhang Guolao is based partly on Zhang Guo, a Tang-dynasty Daoist hermit and occult practitioner associated with Zhongtiao Mountain. Historical and legendary traditions blend in his story: Tang rulers reportedly invited him to court, while folklore gives him extraordinary powers and an ancient age. His honorific name, Guolao, means roughly “Old Zhang.”

His donkey is magical as well as unconventional. Legends say it could travel vast distances and could be folded up like paper when not in use, then restored with water. His backward riding has been interpreted as eccentricity, social humor, or a symbolic rejection of ordinary perspectives. He is also associated with old age, longevity, and a fish-drum emblem.