Liexian Zhuan

Liexian Zhuan
Liexian Zhuan entry for Chisongzi (Master Redpine), Ming dynasty 1445 Daoist Canon
Traditional Chinese	列仙傳
Simplified Chinese	列仙传
Literal meaning	Biographies of Exemplary Immortals
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lièxiān zhuàn Wade–Giles Lieh-hsien Chuan Yue: Cantonese Jyutping lit6 sin1 zyun6 Middle Chinese Middle Chinese   ljetsjen drjwen Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) retsar Cə-m-tron

The Liexian Zhuan, sometimes translated as Biographies of Immortals, is the oldest extant Chinese hagiography of Daoist xian "transcendents; immortals; saints; alchemists". The text, which compiles the life stories of about 70 mythological and historical xian, was traditionally attributed to the Western Han dynasty editor and imperial librarian Liu Xiang (77–8 BCE), but internal evidence dates it to the 2nd century CE during the Eastern Han period. The Liexian Zhuan became a model for later authors, such as Ge Hong's 4th century CE Shenxian zhuan ("Biographies of Divine Immortals").