Peaches of Immortality facts for kids
In Chinese mythology, the Peaches of Immortality are special fruits. Magical beings called immortals eat them to live forever. These peaches are a popular symbol in Chinese art. They often appear in stories, paintings, and other artworks. They are usually shown with other symbols of long life, like deer or cranes.
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What are Peaches of Immortality?
The Peaches of Immortality are not just any fruit. They are believed to give anyone who eats them a very long life, or even make them immortal. This means they would live forever! Because of this, peaches have become a strong symbol for long life and good health in Chinese culture. You can often see them in art and stories.
Special Banquets for Immortals
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The Jade Emperor and his wife, Xi Wangmu (who is also known as the Queen Mother of the West), made sure the gods and goddesses lived forever. They did this by feeding them these magical peaches.
The immortals who lived in Xi Wangmu's palace would have a huge party called the "Feast of Peaches." This special banquet was held on Earth to celebrate Xi Wangmu's birthday. It happened on the third day of the third month in the lunar calendar.
Imagine waiting 6,000 years for a party! That's how long the immortals waited for this amazing feast. The peach trees that grew these fruits were very slow. They would grow leaves only once every thousand years. Then, it took another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen! Statues of Xi Wangmu's helpers often show them holding three peaches. A famous story tells of the Eight Immortals crossing the seas just to attend this grand banquet.
Sun Wukong and the Peaches
The Peaches of Immortality play a big part in the famous fantasy novel Journey to the West. In the story, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, gets a job in Heaven. His job is to protect the peach garden.
This special garden had three kinds of peaches. Each kind could give you more than 3,000 years of life if you ate just one!
- The first type of peach bloomed every three thousand years. Eating it made you immortal and strong.
- The second type bloomed every six thousand years. Eating it allowed you to fly and stay young forever.
- The third type bloomed every nine thousand years. Eating this one made you "eternal as heaven and earth," meaning you would live as long as the sun and moon!
As the Protector, Sun Wukong quickly realized how powerful these peaches were. He secretly ate one! Later, Xi Wangmu arrived to host a big peach banquet for many gods. Sun Wukong made himself tiny and hid inside a peach during the party. He then ate even more peaches! This made him super immortal and gave him amazing new powers.
Later in the story, Sun Wukong found another chance to eat a fruit of immortality. There was a very tall tree, about 1,000 feet high, behind a monastery. This tree grew special fruits only once every 10,000 years. It produced 30 of these legendary fruits. Just smelling them could give you 360 years of life! Eating them could give you an incredible 47,000 years of life.
Other Stories and Meanings
Sometimes, members of the Eight Immortals and the Old Man of the South Pole (who is a god of long life) are shown carrying a Peach of Immortality.
Because of these stories and the peach's connection to long life, the fruit is a popular decoration. You can often see real peaches or pictures of them on traditional birthday cakes and pastries in China. They are a wish for a long and happy life!
