In the past, when many Chinese people immigrated to settle in Thailand, it caused a connection between the cultures of both countries. One is transmitting the belief in auspicious numbers, which has become a belief. Most auspicious numbers come from pronouncing words similar to words with auspicious meanings. The most popular number is the number 8. In Chinese, it is pronounced as "Ba" (八 or Bā), which sounds similar to "Fa" in the word "发财 or Fācái", which means "wealth". In addition, the way it is written when tilted, it looks like the ∞ (infinity) symbol, which means endless wealth.
"Eight Immortals" are gods that the Chinese have worshipped for a long time. They are one of the eight immortals that appear among the hundreds of immortals in China. The word "Poey Sian" is the name of the eight gods from the Teochew dialect. In Mandarin, it is pronounced as "Ba Sian". "Ba" means the number eight, while "Sian" means a wizard. When combined, it means eight wizards. The belief in the Eight Immortals is in Taoism. The Chinese believe the Eight Immortals symbolize happiness, good fortune, and blessings for long life. The Eight Immortals represent male, female, elderly, young, wealthy, high-ranking, poor, and disabled people, all of the worldly things. They also have personal weapons called the “Eight Immortals of the Eight Immortals” or “Anba Xian” (暗八仙 or Àn bāxiān), which means the Eight Treasures of the Gods, which are personal magical items. Li Tieguai (铁拐李 or Tiě guǎi lǐ), the Immortal of medicine and the cure of diseases has a gourd as a magical item that can bring happiness to humans. Inside the gourd are five bats flying. It means the five states of happiness of humanity.
Han Zhongli/Hang Jiangli (汉钟离 or Hàn zhōnglí) is The god of fortune, business, and government. He has a banana leaf fan as his magical item that can blow the dead back to life. For this reason, it is also called the “soul-returning fan” or “resurrection fan”.
Lu Dongbin/Lu Tangbin (吕洞宾 or Lǚdòngbīn) is The god of business, industry, intellectuals, and poets. He has a seven-star sword as his magical item, which has the power to conquer and subdue demons and inauspicious things. It is considered one of the highest magical swords in heaven.
Zhang Guolao/Zhang Guolao (张果老 or Zhāng guǒ lǎo) is The god of stability, Longevity, and good health. The fish drum is a magical item that can resonate far and wide.
Lan Cai He/Na Cai Hua (蓝采和 or Lán cǎi hé) is an immortal of fertility and flowers. He has a flower basket as his magical item, which means good fortune. Inside the basket are flowers that bloom forever without withering.
He Xian Gu/He Xiang Gou (何仙姑 or Hé xiāngū) is an immortal of virtue, honesty, filial piety, and agriculture. He has a lotus as his magical item, a more extensive and beautiful lotus than ordinary lotus flowers, representing the worship of the divine to protect humans from all dangers.
Han Xiang Zi/Han Xiang Zi (韩湘子 or Hán xiāngzi) is an immortal of divination, insight, and music. He has a flute as his magical item. The sound of the flute not only plays a beautiful melody but also hypnotizes the listener's spirit to follow.
Cao Guo Jiu/ Cao Guo Jiu (曹国舅 or Cáo guó jiù), the immortal of title, government, and loyalty, has a pair of yin yangban tablets as a magical object. These tablets show the power of nature by uttering a loud sound.
Many old legends about the Eight Immortals are believed to have existed since the Han Dynasty. One of the legends appears in the record "Huainanzi (淮南子 Huáinán zi)" by Liu An (刘安 Liú ān), calling the Eight Immortals "Pakong" (八公), which is a famous legend of immortals who sought the elixir of life and practiced until they succeeded. Until the Ming Dynasty, Wu Yuantai (吴元泰 Wúyuántài) wrote a legend called “Eight Immortals Wandering the East Sea” (八仙出处东游记 Bāxiān chūchù dōng yóujì), or simply “Wandering the East” (东游记 Dōng yóujì)
The ancient Chinese legends give the Eight Immortals a fascinating, auspicious meaning. As a result, the Eight Immortals have become famous symbols everywhere, in architecture, paintings, utensils, and figurines from all eras up until the present day, alongside the belief in timeless good fortune and wealth. The Eight Immortals motif is also commonly found on porcelain, which is a testament to the belief that it stands on exquisite patterns and is highly valuable for collection.