Ancient China · Immortal

Wangzi Qiao 王子喬

Wángzǐ Qiáo

Legendary antiquity

Passages: 5
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Wangzi Qiao was an Immortal.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Wangzi	乔	Qiao
Alternate name	Qiao	僑	Qiáo

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 187; Book of Later Han 32, passages 35, 169; Book of Later Han 92, passage 147; Book of Later Han 94, passage 283

Key source chapters

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32 Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 75 Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 1 passage
Book of Later Han, Chapter 92 Volume 82a: Biographies of Alchemists 1 1 passage
Book of Later Han, Chapter 94 Volume 83: Biographies of Hermits 1 passage

Events and relationships

Cited for breathing arts
Religious · Exemplar · Mode allusion Speaker Wang Bao (王褒)
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 187

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 187

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

遵遊自然之勢，恬淡無為之場，休徵自至，壽考無疆，雍容垂拱，永永萬年，何必偃卬詘信若彭祖，呴噓呼吸如僑、松，眇然絕俗離世哉！ he drifts with nature's current in the stillness of wu-wei until good omens come unbidden, his years know no bound, and he may rule with folded hands for endless ages. Why should he need Pengzu's calisthenics or the breathing tricks of Wangzi Qiao and Chisongzi, or cut himself off from the human world to chase immortals?

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 2 passages

然後闔門講習道德，觀覽乎孔老之論，庶幾乎松、喬之福，上隴阪，陟高岡，遊精宇宙，流目八纮。 Then I would shut my gate to study moral teaching and read Confucius and Laozi, hoping for something of the blessing of Chisongzi and Wangzi Qiao; I would climb the Long ridges and high hills, send my spirit wandering through heaven and earth, and let my eyes sweep the eight reaches of the world.

離塵垢之窈冥兮，配喬、松之妙節。 I leave the world's grime behind and aspire to the purity of Wangzi Qiao and Chisongzi.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 92Volume 82a: Biographies of Alchemists 1 · 1 passage

或云此即古仙人王子喬也。 Some identify him with the immortal Wang Ziqiao of old.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 94Volume 83: Biographies of Hermits · 1 passage

少好黄、老，隐遁山谷，因穴为室，仰慕松、乔导引之术。 In youth he loved Huang-Lao, lived in a cave, and studied the breath arts of the immortals Chisong and Wangzi.