Liu Haichan

Liu Haichan
Liu Haichan carrying a three-legged toad, (c. 15th century) painting by Li Jun
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese劉海蟾
Simplified Chinese刘海蟾
Literal meaning"Sea-Toad Liu"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLiú Hǎichán
Wade–GilesLiu2 Hai3-ch'an2
IPA[ljǒʊ xàɪ.ʈʂʰǎn]
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLau4 Hoi2sim4
Southern Min
Hokkien POJLâu Háichiûⁿ
Middle Chinese
Middle ChineseLjuw XojXtsyhem
Korean name
Hangul류해섬
Hanja劉海蟾
Transcriptions
McCune–ReischauerRyu Haesŏm
Japanese name
Kanji劉海蟾
Hiraganaりゅう かいせん
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnRyū Kaisen
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
Bronze censer in a shape of three-legged toad carrying on its back Liu Haichan holding a coin. China, 17th-century. Musée Cernuschi

Liu Haichan was a (c. 10th century) Daoist xian ("transcendent; immortal") who was a patriarch of the Quanzhen School, and a master of neidan "internal alchemy" techniques. Liu Haichan is associated with other Daoist transcendents, especially Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, two of the Eight Immortals. Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represents Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chanchu (蟾蜍; "toad; toad in the Moon"). In the present day, it is called the Jin Chan (金蟾), literally meaning "Money Toad", and Liu Haichan is considered an embodiment of Caishen, the God of Wealth.