在道教的神仙中，八仙是最為通俗而深入民間的神仙。在不同的時代裡，民間故事銘刻了民眾對神仙世界的想像，從而選出八位仙人加以組合，創造不同的神仙典型，直到明朝的《八仙出處東遊記》才將八仙定型化。
凡地方演戲逢神明誕生、慶壽，往往必先扮仙，「八仙獻壽」乃成為常見的劇目和主題。另在廟會、慶典時，家宅門楣或廟額亦多高懸八仙綵，以示八仙同賀的熱鬧與喜慶。同時，「八仙鬧東海」亦普遍地被作為寺廟的雕刻、交趾剪黏、彩繪之題材。
八仙題材的敘述表現變化多元且充滿趣味性，就如同本展區的八仙藏字畫聯將八仙巧構為「孝悌忠信、禮義廉恥」等八德，既有民間藝術的美感，亦藉此進行道德教化，乃充分結合了文學敍事與宗教想像，可謂為道教藝術、道教文學具現於民俗的代表。
Among the Daoist deities, Ba Xian, or the Eight Immortals are the most widely known and ubiquitously observed. Folk tales of different times portrayed people’s imagination of the world of immortals, from which eight immortals were selected and put together to represent different types of divinities. It was not until the Origin of the Eight Immortals and Their Eastward Journey in the Ming Dynasty that the images of the Eight Immortals became finalized.
To celebrate the birthdays of gods, local theater performers would often play the role of deities, and the Eight Immortals Celebrating the Birthday has become a commonly performed drama and theme. In addition, at traditional temple fairs and festivals, embroidered banners of the Eight Immortals are often seen hung on house lintels or temple plaques to indicate the congratulations from the Eight Immortals while enhancing the lively and festive mood. Also, the theme of “the Adventure of the Eight Immortals across the East Sea” has appeared at temples in a vast array of carvings, Koji ceramics cutting and pasting, and paintings.
The theme of the Eight Immortals is expressed through a diversity of interesting forms. A case in point is the Eight Immortals painting series at this exhibition that ingeniously depicts the Eight Immortals as the embodiments of the eight virtues – filial piety, fraternal love, loyalty, truthfulness, propriety, righteousness, integrity and honor – through an embedded message. This not only showcases the beauty of folk art, but also conveys moral philosophies. Seamlessly fusing literary narration with religious imagination, it serves as a quintessential example of the integration of Daoist art and literature into folk cultures.
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