We will continue the introduction in this article about the Fish Drum and The Golden Purple Flute of the An Baxian Daoist symbols:
- the Pure Yang Sword (纯阳剑)
- the Banana-Leave Fan (芭蕉扇)
- the Jade Tablet (玉板)
- the Lotus (莲花)
- the Fish Drum (渔鼓)
- the Golden-Purple Flute (紫金萧)
- the Flower Basket (花篮)
- the Gourd (葫芦)
For background of the Eight Immortals, check here.
Zhang Guolao: The Fish Drum
The Symbol
The fifth daoism symbol we introduce is the Fish Drum, which is Zhang Guolao‘s magical tool. In the representation of “men and women, old and young, rich and poor, noble and lowly,” Zhang Guolao represents “old.”
In Daoist cultivation, the Fish Drum symbolizes the belief in “helping the world and saving people.”
The History of Fish Drum
The Fish Drum has a long history, tracing back to the Tang Dynasty’s “Daoqing,” which were Daoist ballads sung by Daoists while propagating Daoist teachings or collecting alms.
The way they narrated Daoist tales and sentiments was by playing the Fish Drum and singing Daoist songs.
By Yuan Dynasty, the Fish Drum was even more widely used.
According to the “History of Yuan” (《元史》): “Many commoners, instead of engaging in proper occupations, perform and teach miscellaneous arts in towns and cities… playing the Fish Drum to attract and gather people.” It became a common tool for street performers.
As a musical instrument, its clear and crisp sound captures attention. It was popular among common folk, making it a musical instrument that even ordinary people could enjoy. It attracted and admonished people.
When being used in a Daoist context, it is often the instrument that attracts people’s attention, so that the Daoists could start their teachings on Daoist philosophy and cultivation, aiming to save the masses from endless life and death.
Hence, the Fish Drum represents the Daoist belief in “helping the world and saving people.”
Zhang Guolao & His Stories
The story of Zhang Guolao, the holder of this magical tool, epitomizes traveling through the three realms and enlightening sentient beings.
According to the “Minghuang Zalu” (《明皇杂录》), Zhang Guolao lived in seclusion on Zhongtiao Mountain in Hengzhou and often moved between Fenzhou and Jinzhou.
It is said that he lived for several hundred years, earning the respectful title of Zhang Guolao.
His iconic image is that of riding a white donkey backward. This white donkey could travel a thousand miles a day without needing food or water. When resting, Zhang Guolao would fold it up, and when needed, he would blow on it to turn it back into a donkey.
Legend has it that he often carried a Daoqing drum, rode his white donkey backward, traveled far and wide, singing Daoist ballads, and advising people to cultivate early.
Emperors Taizong and Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty repeatedly summoned him to the capital, but he never went.
Empress Wu Zetian sent people to invite him out of the mountains, but he pretended to be dead in front of the Nüjiao Temple.
Later, he was seen again in the mountains of Hengzhou.
Zhang Guolao claimed to be very old, with his time spanning from Emperor Gaozong to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty.
“The Comprehensive Mirror” (《通鉴》) records that Zhang Guolao claimed to have served as a minister during the time of Emperor Yao, making him over three thousand years old by the time of Emperor Xuanzong.
Han Xiangzi: The Golden-Purple Flute
The Symbol
The sixth daoism symbol we introduce is the Golden-Purple Flute, which is Han Xiangzi‘s magical cultivated tool. In the representation of “men and women, old and young, rich and poor, noble and lowly,” Han Xiangzi represents “rich.”
In Daoist cultivation, the Golden-Purple Flute symbolizes the belief in “vitality and life.” This aligns with the Daoist classic “Lingbao Duren Script” (《灵宝度人经》), which states, “The way of immortals values life.”
The History of Chinese Flute
As a musical instrument, the flute has an ancient history. According to the “Lüshi Chunqiu” (《吕氏春秋》)： “The Yellow Emperor ordered Ling Lun to cut bamboo from Kunlun to make pipes,” indicating that flutes have been part of Chinese civilization for thousands of years.
In the “Zhuangzi,” there is a discussion about sound:
“Ziyou said, ‘The sounds of the earth are like the various holes of a bamboo flute. The sounds of humanity are like the notes played on bamboo. But may I ask about the sounds of heaven?’ Ziqi replied, ‘The blowing of the myriad things is different, but each makes its own sound. Who is the blower?'”
The sounds of humanity are the music of flutes and strings, while the sounds of the earth are the vibrations created by wind through natural objects. The sounds of heaven are the primordial frequencies of all things under “blow” of the creation rules of the Dao.
Thus, in Daoist cultivation, playing the flute could be a way to simulate and understand the sounds of creation, embodying Dao’s infinite power of creation through music.
Han Xiangzi & His Stories
Han Xiangzi, the user of the Golden-Purple Flute, was said to have a natural talent for music. The Daoist melody “Heavenly Flowers” is traditionally attributed to him.
According to the “Taiping Guangji” (《太平广记》), Han Xiangzi was the nephew of the famous Tang Dynasty poet and statesman Han Yu.
Han Xiangzi lived a difficult early life, not engaging in formal studies and enjoying drinking.
At the age of twenty, he went to Luoyang to visit relatives and then wandered the world, not returning for almost twenty years, during which time he disappeared without a trace.
First Re-emergence
During the Yuanhe period, he suddenly returned to Chang’an, looking destitute, with ragged clothes and odd behavior.
Han Yu, having not seen him for a long time, kindly welcomed him and let him chat with relatives at the academy. Han Xiangzi did not read, behaving almost like a man made of mud. All he loved was to gamble, and sometimes slept in the stables for three to five days or went out for the night.
Although appearing so unreliable, he claimed to have a skill of dyeing flowers, turning red flowers into green ones and making some flowers display five different colors.
In the autumn of that year, he and Han Yu dyed a cluster of white peonies in the back hall, promising that in the spring, the flowers would bloom with green edges, gold and red interwoven patterns inside, and five-colored flowers around them. He buried some medicine at the roots and replanted them, waiting for the spring to verify.
Shortly after, he quietly left again without a trace.
Second Re-emergence
Later, Han Yu offended the emperor by speaking bluntly and was demoted to be the governor of Chaozhou. On his way through Shangshan, the path was slippery with snow, and Han Yu was depressed.
Suddenly, he saw his nephew coming to greet him, offering his respects and taking his reins, behaving very attentively.
The next day, after the snow stopped, his nephew accompanied him to Dengzhou and said, “My master is here, I cannot go further. I will be entering Xuanhu Mountain near Emperor’s Peak.” Han Yu was surprised and asked who his master was. His nephew replied, “Master Hongya.”
Han Yu wrote a fifty-six-character poem to bid him farewell:
"In the morning, I presented my memorial to the emperor;
by evening, I was exiled to Chaoyang, eight thousand miles away.
I was to serve the holy court and eliminate corrupt practices,
not for personal gain in my declining years.
Clouds block the Qinling Mountains, where is my home?
Snow piles up at Lan Pass, the horse cannot proceed.
I know you came from afar with purpose,
take care of my bones at the edge of the malarial river."
After writing the poem, Han Yu tearfully bid farewell, and his nephew disappeared into the forest like a flying bird.
The Prophecy
The next spring, the peonies bloomed with colors just as Han Xiangzi had described.
Even more remarkably, each petal bore fourteen characters in regular script: “Clouds block the Qinling Mountains, where is my home? Snow piles up at Lan Pass, the horse cannot proceed.”
