Three Lucky Immortals

You may have seen these three before in homes, offices, Asian restaurants, Buddhist or Taoist Temples.
These statues are often used for Feng Shui purposes to honor the “gods” and to bring blessings. The trio
is referred to as Fuk Luk Shau, or Fu Lu Sau, which loosely translates to the Three Lucky Immortals or
Three Star Gods. They are considered in the common household as the patrons of health, wealth and
prosperity.
According to the legends, Fu Xing (Star) is believed to be Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou, who wrote
a treatise to the Emperor of China to end the suffering of the people through improvement of
agriculture. After his death, he was commemorated as the patron of prosperity, good fortune, wealth,
blessings, and happiness as he helped bring about a time of abundance to the citizens. The term
prosperity not only refers to material wealth, but is a word that includes good relationships, happy
family, peace, love and overall good fortune. He is typically depicted carrying a scepter or scroll.
Lu Xing was thought to be Zhang Xian, a government official of the Later Shu Dynasty. Lu translates to
“government salary”, and in the imperial days of China, having an appointed civil service position was
considered highly prestigious, brought great honor to the family, and was the surest path to success and
wealth. Based on tales, Zhang Xian was a government official who brought much fortune and happiness
to the people of Shu, it was believed that this was due to his deep loving relationship with Lady Huarui.
After being conquered, Zhang Xian mysteriously died, and the new Emperor Ren Zong took Lady Huarui
as his concubine. Even after his death, Lady Huarui still prayed to the late Zhang Xian for a son. Legend
has it Zhang Xian came to the Emperor in a dream and showed the Emperor he had the power to bestow
a son upon anyone who prayed to him, as this was vitally important for the Emperor to have a worthy
male successor. Not only did the Emperor accept Lady Huarui’s behavior, he decreed Zhang Xian as the
patron “god” for granting a son. He’s considered the patron god for wealth because in the imperial
times, only males were able to hold civil service titles, and therefore were the only ones who had a
chance to bring wealth to the family. He’s often represented with a gold ingot or with a baby boy.
Shau Xing has a very peculiar legend! He was believed to be a Taoist immortal who stayed in his
mother’s womb for 10 years before being born a fully mature old man! As the story goes, the Emperor
of the Northern Song dynasty had randomly invited this old man he had just met on the street to visit
with him. Once the emperor realized who his guest was, he knew he was blessed with longevity. Little
else is written about the mysterious Shau Xing. Shau Xing is depicted has having a prolonged forehead
and is often seen carrying a Peach of Immortality, a gourd containing the Elixir of life, and his deer staff.
Whether the legends are true or not, they offer themselves as symbols for the things we strive towards.
An often misunderstood notion, deities and ancestors weren’t meant to be worshiped, but rather
honored and revered. What deities represent serves as a reflection of the self. It’s not always easy to
see the good in ourselves, but if we can see the good in a deity and what they represent, than we can
aspire to become it! In modern day society we have the term Law of Attraction, a universal principle
that simply says you will draw to yourself that which you think about the most. Alas! We find East
meets West once again! #WhitetigerKungFu #bakfupai