One of the Eight Immortals of Chinese literature and art, Ts’ao Kuo-chiu's life is a mixture of historical detail and mythological extravagance. Born in the 10th century AD he was the older brother of the reprobate Ching-chi and his sister of the Empress Ts'ao (1023-64AD). Ching-Chi killed the huband of a woman he lusted after and, when she refused his advances, threw her into a well. Ts'ao Kuo-chiu, ashamed, hid himself in the mountains, where he was visited by the Immortals HAN CHUNG-LI and LÜ TUNG-PIN. They gave him the recipe for immortality. In another story, Ts'ao Kuo-chiu attempts to cover up his brother's crime by beating the man's wife almst to death. She survives and complains to the imperial censor, who has Ching-chih executed and Ts’ao Kuo-chiu imprisoned. On his release, he becomes a hermit and studies to become an Immortal. He becomes the patron saint of the theatre and is depicted holding castanets and a tablet of admission to Court
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