According to legend, when the peony in Penglai Xiandao was in full bloom, Baiyun Fairy invited eight immortals and five immortals to hold a grand ceremony. On the return trip, Tie Guai Li advised them to find their own way, instead of going by boat. This is the origin of "Eight Immortals crossing the sea to show their magical powers" or "Eight Immortals crossing the sea to show their magical powers". Later, people used this allusion to describe things that rely on their special abilities to create miracles.
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The legend of crossing the sea by the Eight Immortals is one of the most touching legends in ancient China, and now it has become an idiom and allusion that people often use. Especially among the people, its influence is very extensive, and some customs and habits derived from it even spread to the coastal areas of Japan. Because the Eight Immortals have crossed the sea, most coastal people have the taboo of "seven men and one woman in different boats". Barber industry regards Lv Dongbin as the granddaddy. According to legend, the so-called birthday of Lv Zu is on April 14 of the lunar calendar, and the barber industry everywhere is generally busy. People should play the role of the Eight Immortals in celebrating their birthdays to create a happy atmosphere.
Unlike many Taoist immortals, the Eight Immortals all came from the world, and they all had colorful earthly stories, and then gained the Tao. They are completely different from the images of ordinary immortals, so they are deeply loved by the people. Among them are generals, royalty, beggars and Taoist priests. They are not born immortals, and they all have some shortcomings, such as Han Zhong's topless breasts, Lv Dongbin's frivolous personality, Tie Guai Li's drunkenness and so on.
The Eight Immortals also represent men, women, children, rich and poor. Therefore, generally speaking, Taoist temples have places to worship the Eight Immortals, or the Eight Immortals Palace is set up independently, and the Eight Immortals also appear in the temple fairs of the gods. The Eight Immortals often appear in New Year pictures, embroidery, porcelain, lanterns and plays. According to legend, the Eight Immortals regularly go to the Western Queen Mother Flat Peach Festival to celebrate their birthdays, so "Eight Immortals' Birthday" has also become a common birthday theme in folk art. When folk operas reward gods, so-called "fairy plays" such as drunken Eight Immortals or Eight Immortals' birthdays are often staged.