Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals

The 3-volumed Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals (《續仙傳》 Xu Xianzhuan ) was compiled by Shen Fen, the County Magistrate of Lishui as, according to the author's preface, materials for Dao-learners to discuss and manifestation of true immortals. According to the analysis of the text by the contemporary scholar Chen Guofu, Shen lived in Yangwu during the Five Dynasties. Therefore the book was most likely completed during the Five Dynasties. The upper volume records 16 "ascending" immortals such as Xuan Zhenzi, Lan Caihe, Zhu Ruzi, among whom are three feminine immortals. The middle volume records 12"hermits", such as Sun Simiao, Zhang Guo and Xu Xuanping, etc. The lower volume records 8 "hermits", such as Sima Chengzhen, Luqiu Fangyuan and Nie Shidao, etc. Among the total number of 36 immortals, some are historic figures like Sima Chengzhen, and some are fictitious. Collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is useful for the study of Daoism during the Tang.