| Mount Penglai | |
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 "The Immortal Island of Penglai", by Chinese artist Yuan Jiang (1708), held byPalace Museum | |
| Genre | Chinese mythology |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Legendary island of immortals,Otherworld |
| Characters | The Eight Immortals |
| Mount Penglai | |||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Penglai" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 蓬萊仙島 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 蓬莱仙岛 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 蓬莱 | ||||||||||||||||
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Penglai (Chinese:蓬萊仙島;lit. 'Penglai Immortal[1] Island') is a legendary land ofChinese mythology. It is known inJapanese mythology asHōrai andBồng Lai in Vietnam.[2]
According to theClassic of Mountains and Seas, the mountain is located at the eastern end ofBohai Sea.[3] According to the pre-Qin mythology which retells the legend ofXu Fu presenting a memorial to theQin Emperor in order to seek for theelixir of life, there are three godly mountains which are found in the Bohai sea where immortals reside; these mountains are Penglai,Fāngzhàng (方丈), and Yíngzhōu (瀛洲/瀛州).[4] Other islands where immortals reside are called Dàiyú (岱輿) and Yuánjiāo (員嬌).[5]
In theIllustrated Account of the Embassy to Goryeo in the Xuanhe Era (Chinese:宣和奉使高麗圖經;Xuanhe fengshi Gaoli tujing), written in 1124 by Xu Jing (徐兢), Mount Penglai is located on an inhabited island which is found within the boundaries ofChangguo prefecture and can be reached "after crossing thirty thousand leagues of the Weak Water".[6]
Various theories have been offered over the years as to the "real" location of these places, includingJapan,[3]Nam-Hae (南海),Geo-Je (巨濟),Jejudo (濟州島) south of theKorean Peninsula, andTaiwan.Penglai, Shandong exists, but its claimed connection is as the site of departures for those leaving for the island rather than the island itself.[citation needed] In his workTaengniji [ko] (lit. "A Guide to Select Villages"),Yi Chung-hwan, aJoseon-period geographer, associated Mount Penglai with Korea'sMount Kumgang.[7]
In a legend originating in thestate of Qi during the pre-Qin period, immortals live in a palace called the Penglai Palace which is located on Mount Penglai.[3] InChinese mythology the mountain is often said to be the base for theEight Immortals (or at least where they travel to have a ceremonial meal), as well as the illusionistAnqi Sheng. Supposedly, everything on the mountain appears pure white, while its palaces are made fromgold andsilver, and jewels grow on trees. There is no agony and no winter; there are rice bowls and wine glasses that never become empty no matter how much people eat or drink from them; and there are enchanted fruits growing in Penglai that can heal any ailment, granteternal youth, and even resurrect the dead.
Tradition holds thatQin Shi Huang, in search of immortality, sent several unsuccessful expeditions to find Penglai.[8]: 120 Legends tell thatXu Fu, one servant sent to find the island, found Japan instead, and namedMount Fuji as Penglai.
From the medieval periods onwards, Mount Penglai was believed by some Japanese people to be located in Japan whereXu Fu andYang Guifei arrived and eventually decided to stay there for the rest of their lives.[3]
The presentation of Mt. Hōrai inLafcadio Hearn'sKwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things differs from the earlier Chinese legend. This version rejects much of the fantastic and magical properties of Hōrai. In this version of the myth, Hōrai is not free from sorrow or death, and the winters are bitterly cold. Hearn's conception of Hōrai holds that there are no magical fruits that cure disease, grant eternal youth or raise the dead, and no rice bowls or wine glasses that never become empty; rather, Hearn's incarnation of the myth of Hōrai focuses more on the atmosphere of the place, which is said to be made up not of air but of "quintillions of quintillions" of souls. Breathing in these souls is said to grant one all of the perceptions and knowledge possessed by the ancient souls. The Japanese version also holds that the people of Hōrai are small fairies who have no knowledge of great evil, and whose hearts therefore never grow old.
In theKwaidan there is some indication that the Japanese hold such a place to be merely a fantasy. It is pointed out that "Hōrai is also called Shinkiro, which signifies Mirage—the Vision of the Intangible".
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