He-Xiangu
He-Xiangu, is actually a she. Not a he. He-Xiangu is the only female deity in the 8 Immortals of Daoism. Her name literally means "immortal woman". Daoism is the chinese belief system that thought focuses on health, immortality, vitality & transformation among many other things. He-Xiangu is a goddess of pure women and spiritual freedom. Legend says that He-Xiangu once lived during the T'ang dynasty. When she was a teenager she was visited in her dreams by an immortal being who instructed her on how to become immortal. The immortal creature in her dreams told her to eat stones from the river stream nearby. Upon doing so, it would make her immune from death and she would become immortal forever.
As part of her becoming immortal she also vowed to remain a virgin as part of dedicating herself to her immortality. She also gained the power to fly which helped her throughout her many adventures. There are different variations & stories about He-Xiangu, but she is often depicted as a beautiful woman whose symbol is a lotus flower. As with many tales in mythology the lotus flower is known as a symbol of transformation. She is also seen with peaches which are said to represent the peach of immortality which could also be a reference to the "stones" she ate that granted her immunity from death. Overal He-Xiangu is a powerful figure as she is the only woman of the 8 Immortals. The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary xian in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel that can grant life or destroy evil. Together, these eight deities are called the "Covert Eight Immortals". Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Shang Dynasty.