''Legend of the Eight Immortals'' is a

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

an television series based on stories about the

Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary ''xian'' ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight ...

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

and adapted from the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Dong You Ji'' (东游记; ''Journey to the East'') by Wu Yuantai (吴元泰). Produced by the

Television Corporation of Singapore Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...

(TCS; now

MediaCorp Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...

) in collaboration with two mainland Chinese companies, the series had cast members from Singapore,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

and mainland

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It was first aired in Singapore on TCS Channel 8 from 26 November 1998 to 6 January 1999.

Plot

The Universe is under threat by a demonic cult led by

Tongtian Jiaozhu Tongtian Jiaozhu (通天教主) or sometimes translated as ''Grandmaster of Heaven'' is the third disciple of Hongjun Laozu and younger brother of Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun. He has appeared as an antagonist in many legends, classic novel ...

. The

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

, the supreme ruler of Heaven, orders Immortal Donghua to find seven other worthy beings and form a team known as the

to counter the cult. After the first five members – Tieguai Li, Han Zhongli,

Zhang Guolao Zhang Guo, better known as Zhang Guolao, is a Chinese mythology, Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoism, Taoist pantheon. Among the Eight Immortals, Zhang Guolao, Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, Lü Yan were rea ...

Lan Caihe Lan Caihe ()"Lan Caihe." ''Encyclopedia Britannica.'' https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lan-CaiheDorothy Perkins. ''Encyclopedia of China: History and Culture.'' Page 140. is a Chinese mythological figure, and one of the Eight Immortals in the ...

and

He Xiangu He Xiangu, birth name He Qiong, is a Chinese mythology, Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoism, Taoist pantheon. She is often seen as the only female among the Eight Immortals (though the sex of Lan Caihe, another ...

– have joined, Donghua chooses to undergo reincarnation to help the remaining two members –

Han Xiangzi Han Xiangzi, courtesy name Qingfu or Beizhu, is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. He studied Taoist magical arts under the tutelage of Lü Dongbin, another of the Eight Immortals. Han Xiangzi is ...

and

Cao Guojiu Cao Guojiu, literally Imperial Brother-in-law Cao, is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. His real name was Cao Yi while his courtesy name was Jingxiu, and he was better known to his contemporaries ...

– achieve immortality faster. He is reincarnated as

Lü Dongbin Lü Dongbin (796 CE – 1016 CE) is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty. Whether he actually lived the two hundred and twenty years cannot be determined. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the C ...

and serves as the team leader. However, he has to overcome his romantic entanglements with Peony Fairy because romance between immortals is forbidden by Heaven's laws. At one point, Tongtian Jiaozhu implants a "blood curse" in Lü Dongbin which causes the latter to lose control of his senses and go rogue. Tongtian Jiaozhu is later betrayed and killed by his treacherous follower, Pangolin, who absorbs his powers. Pangolin, who has a crush on He Xiangu, cleverly manipulates the Eight Immortals and causes them to turn against each other and sow discord between them and other deities. The Eight Immortals combine their strengths to defeat Pangolin and the evil forces and bring peace to the Universe.

Cast

;Eight Immortals *

Steve Ma Steve Ma Jingtao (; born 14 February 1962) is a Taiwanese actor best known for acting in many Taiwanese, mainland Chinese and Singaporean television series since the early 1990s. Most of the more notable television series he acted in are of the ' ...

, the leader of the Eight Immortals. ** Ma also portrayed Immortal Donghua, Lü Dongbin's previous avatar. He voluntarily undergoes reincarnation into the human world to find the remaining immortals-to-be and help them attain immortality faster. *

Jacelyn Tay Jacelyn Tay Siew Cheng (; born 12 June 1975) is a Singaporean former actress, health coach and businesswoman . She was crowned the female champion of the local Star Search Singapore competition in 1995 and was a full-time Mediacorp artiste fr ...

, an apprentice of

Jiutian Xuannü In Chinese mythology, Jiutian Xuannü is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity.. Etymology This goddess was initially known as ''Xuannü'' ().. The name has been variously translated as the "Dark Lady" or the "Mysterious Lady". in English. In ...

and Guanyin. *

Jerry Chang JerryC (; born 31 August 1981), also known by his English name Jerry Chang, is a Taiwanese guitarist and composer. He is known for arranging and playing "Canon Rock", a rock arrangement of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D. He began playing the guit ...

Han Yu Han Yu (; 76825 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi (), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was a Chinese essayist, poet, philosopher, and politician during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the devel ...

's nephew. ** Chang also portrayed Fei Zhangfang, Han Xiangzi's previous avatar. He was very filial to his mother but extremely impulsive and stubborn. * Deborah Sim as

, a street performer who becomes an immortal with Sun Wukong's help. He was the Barefoot Immortal in his previous life. * Ling Xiao as

, an eccentric Taoist who becomes an immortal after consuming rare herbs. * Lin Yisheng as Tieguai Li, an apprentice of Taishang Laojun and the first to join the team. *

Mak Hiu-wai Mak Ho Wai (; 7 January 1946 – 14 April 2022) was a Hong Kong / Singaporean television artiste with TVB and then Mediacorp. Early life and education Mak studied at the National Taiwan Ocean University, receiving a bachelor's degree in elect ...

as Han Zhongli, a former

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

general who becomes an immortal with Donghua's help. ** Hong Junrui as the Cowherd Boy, Han Zhongli's previous avatar. He was sent to be reincarnated into the human world as punishment after carelessly allowing Taishang Laojun's divine bull to escape and cause trouble. * Li Haijie as

, the maternal uncle of a

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

emperor and the last to join the team. ;Others *

Phyllis Quek Phyllis Quek (; born 23 August 1972) is a Malaysian model, actress, and singer. She was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artist from 1995 to 2001, and was ranked by local media as the 'Fourth Ah Jie' for being the fourth most prominent actre ...

Bai Mudan Bai Mudan or Baimudan or White Peony () may refer to: *Baimudan tea, white tea made from the ''Camellia sinensis'' plant *Bai Mudan (mythology), character from Chinese mythology, lover of the Taoist immortal Lü Dongbin * Bai Mudan (1900–1968), P ...

, a maiden whom Lü Dongbin is destined to have romantic entanglements with. She becomes an obstacle to his quest to unite the Eight Immortals because he is forced to choose between his romance with her and his allegiance to his team. ** Quek also portrayed Peony Fairy, Bai Mudan's previous avatar. She has a crush on Immortal Donghua and was banished to the human world for breaking Heaven's laws. *

Yvonne Lim Yvonne Lim (, born 28 September 1976) is a Singaporean actress. Early life and education Lim was born to Hokkien-speaking family. She studied at CHIJ St Theresa's Convent and graduated with a Diploma in Electronic, Computer & Communication E ...

as Long San, the Dragon King's third daughter who is revealed later to be actually an offspring of the Evil Dragon and Chunying. She has a crush on Han Xiangzi and transforms herself to look like Zhenniang. ** Lim also portrayed Zhenniang, Fei Zhangfang's mute but virtuous wife. *

Xie Shaoguang use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

as Pangolin, a treacherous demon who has a crush on He Xiangu. He betrays Tongtian Jiaozhu, absorbs his powers, and commit several atrocities in his attempt to destroy Lü Dongbin and the other Immortals and have He Xiangu for himself. *

Hong Huifang Hong Huifang (born Ang Hwee Fong on 7 January 1961) is a Singaporean actress. Career Hong joined the SBC during the mid-1980s after completing the 5th drama training course alongside Yang Libing and Chen Tianwen, at age 22. She is perhaps b ...

as Chunying, the widow of the Evil Dragon and Long San's mother. She used to be one of Tongtian Jiaozhu's deputies and committed several wicked deeds in her bid to kill Lü Dongbin and avenge her husband. However, she repents after she is touched by her daughter's filial piety and returns to the path of goodness. * Tracer Wong as Tree Demoness, one of Tongtian Jiaozhu's deputies. She has an affair with Pangolin. * Huang Shinan as

, Taishang Laojun's evil junior who formed a demonic cult to challenge Heaven. *

Vincent Ng Vincent Ng Cheng Hye (born 6 December 1975), also known as Weng Qinghai, is a Singaporean martial artist and former actor. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp actor from 1997 to 2007. He is best known for acting in Chinese-language televisi ...

Sun Wukong The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...

, the protagonist in ''

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...

'' who is now known as the " Fighting Victorious Buddha" after completing the quest to obtain the Buddhist scriptures. He is a friend and ally of the Eight Immortals. ** Ng also portrayed Sun Ying, the Six Eared Macaque's son and Sun Wukong's apprentice. He has a crush on Long San and relentlessly tries to win her heart. * Ding Lan as

Guanyin Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...

, the Bodhisattva of compassion and mercy. She shows up to help the Immortals when they are in desperate situations. * Yang Dawei as

, the supreme ruler and patriarch of Heaven. *

Li Yinzhu Li Yinzhu (simplified Chinese: 李茵珠; born 14 September 1949) is a Singaporean actress. She has been in the entertainment industry since 1969 and has filmed more than 150 drama serials. Career In 1980, Li signed with Singapore Broadcasti ...

as Queen Mother of Heaven, the matriarch of Heaven. * Dai Peng as

Taishang Laojun Daode Tianzun (), also known as Taishang Laojun () is a high Taoist god. He is the Taiqing (太清, lit. the Grand Pure One) which is one of the Three Pure Ones, the highest divinities of Taoism. Laozi is regarded to be a manifestation of Daode ...

, one of the

Three Pure Ones The Three Pure Ones (), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure ...

. *

Yan Bingliang Giam Ping Leong, better known as Yan Bingliang, is a Singaporean actor best known for acting in many Chinese-language television series produced by Mediacorp Channel 8. A veteran actor, he entered the entertainment industry in 1984 after finis ...

Dragon King of the East Sea Ao Guang (; or ) is the Dragon King of the East Sea in Chinese folklore. He featured prominently in different works including ''Fengshen Yanyi'' and ''Journey to the West''. ''Fengshen Yanyi'' According to the ''Fengshen Yanyi'', after the passa ...

, the ruler of all marine beings in the East Sea. * Wang Yanbin as

Erlang Shen Erlang Shen () or Erlang, also known as the Lord of Sichuan (), is a Chinese god with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. Erlang Shen may be a deified version of several semi-mythical folk heroes who helped regulate China's ...

, the three-eyed warrior deity who serves as a general under the Jade Emperor. * Hong Shihu as Dragon Crown Prince, the Dragon King's eldest son. *

Chen Tianwen Chen Tianwen (born 28 March 1963) is a Singaporean actor. Career Chen was educated at the now-defunct Serangoon Garden Secondary Technical School. He joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now Mediacorp) after completing the 5th arti ...

as the Evil Dragon who is slain by Immortal Donghua in the opening scene. * Zhou Quanxi as Turtle Premier, the premier of the Dragon King's marine kingdom. * Zheng Youguo portrayed the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

, who shows up to help the Immortals when they are in danger. * Wang Xiuyun as Fei Zhangfang's mother * Yang Yue as

Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities ...

, the ruler of the

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

External links

''Legend of the Eight Immortals''
on MediaCorp's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Legend of the Eight Immortals 1998 Singaporean television series debuts 1999 Singaporean television series endings 1990s Singaporean television series Singapore Chinese dramas Television shows based on Chinese novels Channel 8 (Singapore) original programming Taoism in popular culture

Plot

Cast

See also

External links