The Beauty of Lingzhi in the Forbidden City︱From the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties: Immortal Gatherers of Lingzhi, Praying for Auspiciousness, Blessings, and Good Health

From the gentle spring rain of Qingming Festival to the blazing summer days brimming with yang energy, the lingzhi mushroom has transformed—from its tender, milky-white buds just emerging from the ground—to a flourishing, auspicious cloud in full bloom—a truly exquisite season for discovering the lingzhi’s radiant beauty.

Compared to modern people, who can easily go on outings to search for and collect ganoderma mushrooms, ancient people had a much harder time. They might spend days trekking deep into mountains and forests yet still return empty-handed—simply because fully mature wild ganoderma mushrooms are so incredibly rare that even with the best of intentions, it’s often nearly impossible to find them.

Thus, in ancient times, being able to gather lingzhi mushrooms was truly a stroke of good luck and great fortune—offering not only the hope of realizing the dream of “lightening the body, staying young forever, and attaining an immortal life,” but also serving as an auspicious sign heralding good fortune in all matters and smooth sailing in everything one does.

Since it’s not easy for mortals to gather herbs, let the immortals take care of it! After all, in the Daoist realm of longevity, “eating herbs” is an essential step on the path to immortality—and it’s also the way of life for enlightened immortals. Thus, “gathering herbs” naturally became an everyday part of the immortal’s existence.

Thus, a hoe (used for gathering herbs), a bamboo basket (for holding the herbs), several lingzhi mushrooms, and a gourd—symbolizing both “medicine,” which embodies the idea of healing the world, and, through its homophone, “fortune and prosperity”—have become common elements in painters’ depictions of immortals gathering herbs throughout the ages. Some painters have even taken a more creative approach, portraying immortals casually gathering herbs while wielding brooms.

Different flavors of picking herbs, yet the same auspicious gift of fairy mushrooms—spanning millennia through time and space, unchanged in their prayer for blessings, good fortune, and robust health.

After admiring the fairy picking herbs in ancient paintings, why don’t you embark on your own “trace back to the source” journey to find these precious herbs? After all, the true, high-quality lingzhi won’t just exist in promotional materials—it can be seen with your own eyes.

Glimpse the vibrant beauty of Lingzhi, and all the sweltering heat will instantly vanish. From now on, every time you savor Lingzhi, you’ll feel a special, auspicious flavor lingering in your heart.

Song/Ma Gu picks herbs and brews wine to offer as a gift of longevity.

(Image source: National Palace Museum, Taipei; artwork title: “Portrait of the Immortal Magu” by Ma Hezhi of the Song Dynasty; at the top of the hanging scroll is an inscription in regular script by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, recounting the story of Magu attaining enlightenment and becoming an immortal.)

This painting is the work of Ma Hezhi, a court painter during the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (the first and second emperors of the Southern Song, 1107–1189). As the head of the Ten Painters at the Imperial Painting Academy, he uniquely developed the “willow-leaf brushstroke” technique, characterized by graceful brushwork and delicate coloring, thus establishing his own distinctive style.

The woman depicted in the painting, Magu, is a divine figure in Daoism. She first appeared in Ge Hong’s (284–363) “Biographies of the Immortals” from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Originally a kind and hardworking ordinary girl, she attained enlightenment through accumulated virtue and became a female immortal of longevity. At over 500 years old, she has already witnessed three instances of the “East Sea turning into mulberry fields.”

The book describes Magu as “about eighteen or nineteen years old, with her hair styled in a bun at the crown and the rest left loose and flowing,” and notes that “her hands resembled bird claws.” Thanks to Ma Hezhi’s delicate brushwork, these descriptions come vividly to life. Moreover, Magu is shown carrying a hoe on her shoulder and a bamboo basket slung over her back; the basket is filled with various kinds of lingzhi mushrooms. A long string of gourds hangs from the handle of her hoe—these details tell the story of how, on the third day of the third lunar month—the birthday of the Queen Mother of the West—Magu came to the Jiangzhu River and brewed wine using lingzhi mushrooms to present as a gift of longevity.

At this moment, the gourd serves not only as a vessel for wine but also as a symbol of “fortune and prosperity.” Coupled with the lingzhi mushroom’s association with “longevity,” this painting—featuring Magu gathering lingzhi mushrooms to brew wine and present it as a gift of longevity—has become the perfect gift to wish our elder female relatives a happy birthday.

Yuan, a female immortal, gathers herbs while fierce beasts provide escort.

(Image source: National Palace Museum, Taipei; artwork title: Painting of a Fairy by an Artist from the Yuan Dynasty)

This painting, passed down from the Yuan dynasty and bearing no artist’s signature, also features a female immortal who “has been cultivated through human practice” as its central figure. What’s particularly noteworthy is that, in addition to the usual tools—such as a hoe, a basket for collecting herbs, a gourd, and lingzhi mushrooms—two fierce beasts have joined her on her journey, creating an unusual “Beauty and the Beast” scenario.

Before us sat a female immortal, dressed in plain attire with a high coiffure, her eyes gentle and kind. She was seated cross-legged on a round cushion, holding a brush in her hand and resting a banyan leaf on her knees—seemingly poised to begin writing sacred scriptures and spreading the Dharma. The normally ferocious blue lion and white tiger lay quietly at either side, their eyes filled with awe and reverence, clearly demonstrating the female immortal’s profound spiritual attainment, capable of taming even such fierce beasts.

Brightly—picking herbs to offer as a blessing, accompanied by celestial cranes.

[Image source: National Palace Museum, Taipei; Artwork title: “Immortal Gathering Mushrooms” by an Anonymous Artist from the Ming Dynasty (formerly attributed to Wang Qihan of the Five Dynasties)]

This painting, once attributed to Wang Qihan, a painter of the Southern Tang dynasty during the Five Dynasties period, was later re-examined and determined—not to be the work of Wang Qihan at all. The painting’s bold brushstrokes and dynamic, vigorous line transitions are markedly different from Wang Qihan’s signature delicate and meticulous style. Moreover, no painters from the Five Dynasties period exhibited this artistic approach. Subsequent scholarly research conclusively identified the work as belonging to the school of Wu Wei (1459–1508), a master of the Zhejiang School from the mid-Ming dynasty.

Building upon the motifs of hoes, bamboo baskets, ganoderma mushrooms, and gourds, the painter has incorporated the imagery of “a hand holding a celestial peach” and “cranes gracefully accompanying the scene,” harmonizing these elements with the resolute and heroic figure of the immortal picker of herbs. This not only enhances the dramatic effect of the painting but also echoes the gourd’s symbolism of “fortune and prosperity” and the ganoderma mushroom’s association with “immortality and longevity,” thereby vividly conveying the painting’s heartfelt intention as a gift to celebrate longevity and honor the recipient.

Brightly/An immortal fairy gathers herbs, smiling as she gazes upon the human world.

(Image source: National Palace Museum, Taipei; artwork title: “Immortal Gathering Mushrooms” by Zhang Chong of the Ming Dynasty)

Compared to the “elaborate attire” often seen in depictions of Cai Zhi Xian, the Cai Zhi Xian painted by Zhang Chong, a painter from the late Ming dynasty, is clearly a pioneer of “decluttering”: we see a disheveled fairy standing sideways, holding a broom, with several freshly picked lingzhi mushrooms tied around her waist. Her piercing eyes gaze calmly into the distance, exuding an air of composure that seems to have already settled all earthly concerns—and a carefree attitude that allows her to laugh off the sorrows of both past and present.

Born in Jiangnan, Zhang Chong completed this work in the fourth year of Longqing during the reign of Emperor Muzong of the Ming Dynasty (1570). Judging from his paintings that still exist today—from the second year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1645)—Zhang Chong was still quite young when he painted the figure of the fairy gathering herbs. Although he had not yet experienced much of the world, even at that early stage he may have already sensed the absurdity of the situation: “The emperor was driven mad by the belief that lingzhi could grant immortality and divine longevity, while common people and officials scrambled everywhere to collect lingzhi in order to win rewards or official posts.” It was precisely because of this keen awareness that he created such a figure of the fairy gathering herbs—a character who seemed utterly detached from the world’s illusions.

Qing/Lan Caihe picks herbs and takes a carefree stroll.

(Image source: National Palace Museum, Taipei; artwork title: “Immortal Gathering Mushrooms” by Yan Hongzi of the Qing Dynasty)

This painting is the work of Yan Hongzi, a court painter from the Qianlong period who was particularly skilled at depicting Daoist and Buddhist figures. The fairy picking herbs in his painting exudes a “fresh and casual” style. Although there is no textual explanation identifying the protagonist of the painting, the fairy’s twin braids, youthful appearance, and androgynous charm—combined with her casually dressed attire and long sash—seem to bear a certain resemblance to Lan Caihe from the tale “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Each Displaying Their Unique Powers.”

The Eight Immortals are important deities in Taoism. Each of them was an ordinary mortal who attained immortality through cultivation. They represent, respectively, men, women, the elderly, the young, the rich, the noble, the poor, and the humble. Lan Caihe embodies the “young.” His spontaneous songs and verses composed while intoxicated—“Dancing to the rhythm of Lan Caihe, how much can this world hold? A beautiful face is but a fleeting spring tree; time’s fleeting years are like a shuttle swiftly tossed away”—echo the serene and detached demeanor of the celestial maidens depicted in paintings. All of this reminds all beings in the world that life is inherently full of change—why not just live it with ease and abandon?

Qing/Emperor Qianlong picking herbs, with a young attendant following closely behind.

The “Hónglì Cǎizhī Tú Zhóu,” currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, like the series of Cǎizhī paintings mentioned above, also features such basic elements as a hoe, a basket for collecting herbs, a gourd, and lingzhi mushrooms. The main difference is that the number of figures has increased to two, and there’s an additional deer—a symbol of “fortune and official rank.”

The key lies in the fact that this “Cai Zhi Xian” was no ordinary person—but rather, he was none other than the Qianlong Emperor when he was between 23 and 24 years old, still known as Prince Bao (during the 11th and 12th years of the Yongzheng reign, from 1733 to 1734). Precisely because his status was so exalted, he left the laborious tasks to his companions by his side, contenting himself with merely holding the spirit-growth mushroom-shaped ruyi scepter and going through the motions.

Qianlong could be said to be the historical figure who most loved playing dress-up games in paintings. It was precisely because of his “uninvited appearances” that these ethereal, otherworldly paintings of gathering herbs gained an extra touch of charm and humanity.

[Also Recommended] Liaoning/Shennong Collects Herbs

(Image source: Baidu Baike)

Although this painting is not part of the Palace Museum’s collection, it may well be the “Cai Zhi” painting that has been viewed by the most people. Moreover, it was completed earlier than all the previously mentioned works.

It originated from the Liao Dynasty (the Khitan state) in northern China during the Song Dynasty, and was even discovered inside the Buddhist statue housed in the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County in Shanxi Province—the world’s tallest and oldest surviving all-wooden structure.

The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, officially named “Fogong Temple Sakyamuni Pagoda,” was built in the second year of Qingning during the Liao Dynasty (1056, during the reign of Emperor Renzong, the fourth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty). In 1974, during reinforcement work on the wooden pagoda, a cache of cultural relics—including inscribed sutras and paintings—was discovered inside the main statue of Sakyamuni Buddha on the fourth floor. Among these relics was this beautifully colored painting.

The figure in the painting has a full, rounded face, wears animal skins over the shoulders, and is draped in leaf skirts around the waist. He walks barefoot among mountains and rocks. In his right hand, he holds a lingzhi mushroom; in his left, he carries a hoe. His back is laden with a bamboo basket filled with freshly gathered lingzhi mushrooms and medicinal herbs. A straw hat and a gourd are tied to his wooden staff. In ancient Daoist tradition, gourds were commonly used to hold elixirs and pills; thus, the phrase “xuanhu (hulu)” has come to symbolize medicine.

Some researchers believe that the figure depicted in the painting is none other than Shennong, who is said to have tasted all kinds of herbs. The fact that he holds a lingzhi mushroom underscores lingzhi’s special status among all herbs. Indeed, any tangible object that can be placed alongside the Buddha—whose teachings guide all beings toward liberation from suffering and ultimate nirvana—must surely carry profound significance.

[About the Author / Wu Tingyao]

Having reported firsthand news about Lingzhi since 1999, he continues to do so to this day and is the author of “Lingzhi: Marvelous Beyond Words” (published by People’s Medical Publishing House in April 2017).

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