Page 195 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book
P. 195
L
Lan Cai-he
Lan Cai-he is one of the eight Immortals: sometimes regarded as female, at other
times as a hermaphrodite. His emblem is a basket of fruit or flowers, or, less frequently,
a flute or a bowl.
According to the Tai-ping guang ji (978), a collection of tales of the weird and
wonderful, of gods and strange people, Lan Cai-he wore a ragged blue gown. He was
often to be seen in market-places, sometimes wearing only one shoe. He is the patron
saint of minstrels.
According to another tradition, Lan was a female singer, whose songs foretold
the future.
Lan Cai-he with a basket of flowers
