China: The Daoist immortal He Xiangu on a celestial crane, from the album of 18...

He Xiangu, sometimes written as He Xian Gu and born as He Qiong, is a Chinese mythological character and one of the Eight Immortals in the Daoist pantheon. She is often portrayed as the only woman among the Eight Immortals, though sometimes Lan Caihe's sex is portrayed somewhat ambigiously. He Xiangu is said to have been born and lived during the Tang Dynasty. He Xiangu was the daughter of He Tai, a man from Guangzhou, and she was born with six long hairs on the crown of her head. When she was around 14 or 15 years old, she was visited in her dreams by a divine persoange who instructed her to eat powdered mica, so that her body could become etherealised and immune from death. She eventually ascended to Heaven in broad daylight, becoming a "xian" (immortal). He Xiangu is often depicted holding a lotus flower, which improves one's physical and mental health. She also sometimes carries a musical instrument known as a 'sheng' or a 'fenghuang', and can also be depicted with a bamboo ladle or a fly-whisk.