The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup or Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine (Chinese: 飲中八仙; pinyin: yǐnzhōng bāxīan) were a group of Tang Dynasty scholars who are known for their love of alcoholic beverages. They are not deified and xian ("immortal; transcendent; fairy") is metaphorical. The term is used in a poem by Du Fu, and in the biography of Li Bai in the New Book of Tang.
They appeared in Du's poem in the following order:
- He Zhizhang (賀知章 Hè Zhīzhāng)
- Li Jin (李璡 Lǐ Jìn)
- Li Shizhi (李適之 Lǐ Shìzhi)
- Cui Zongzhi (崔宗之 Cuī Zōngzhī)
- Su Jin (蘇晉 Sū Jìn)
- Li Bai (李白 Lǐ Bái)
- Zhang Xu (張旭 Zhāng Xù)
- Jiao Sui (焦遂 Jiaō Suì)
Famous quotes containing the words wine and/or cup:
“When wine is spilled with accident, death and disaster hasten.”
—Joseph O’Donnell. Clifford Sanforth. Ah Ling, Murder by Television, after he accidentally spills wine on Mrs. Houghland (1935)
“I worked as a waitress till I was fired because I dumped a cup of hot coffee in the lap of a half-drunk guy who was pinching my butt.”
—Juli Loesch (b. c. 1953)