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| A Study on the Newly Discovered Tang Dynasty Epitaph of Lü Yu as the Prototype of Lü Dongbin |
| Hu Kexian |
| School of Literature, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China |
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Abstract Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoism, is widely known in Chinese folk legend and was indeed an actual historical figure. Lü Dongbin, Lü Yan, and Lü Yu should be the same person. There have been various interpretations regarding his life and activities in academia. The newly discovered epitaph of Lü Yu provides further understanding of the prototype of Lü Dongbin.First, historical records indicate that Lü Dongbin was the grandson of Lü Yanzhi and the son of Lü Rang, which corresponds precisely with the lineage recorded in the epitaph of Lü Yu. The epitaph traces his ancestry through six generations: ancestor Lü Xu (6th generation), great-great-grandfather Lü Chongsi, great-grandfather Lü Yanzhi, grandfather Lü Wei, and father Lü Rang. By further consulting both excavated and transmitted texts, a genealogical table of Lü Yu can be constructed. The discovery of the epitaph of Lü Yu confirms his birth and death dates, ancestral home and native place, imperial examination, and his service as a secretary in Huaizhou, among other biographical details.Second, Lü Yu’s great literary reputation was closely related to his family’s status as a literary lineage. The Lü family maintained a continuous literary tradition throughout the Tang Dynasty. Having grown up and lived in this rich literary environment, Lü Yu himself became a literary figure.Third, Lü Yu excelled in literature throughout his life. At nine, his poetry displayed the refined style of the Daya; at thirteen, his fu carried the elegance of Qu Yuan and Song Yu; at fifteen, his prose reached the level of Ban Gu and Sima Qian. When he sat for the imperial examination in the early Xiantong era, his literary fame had already spread far and wide. He also collected his literary works into fifteen volumes. However, the collection of his literary works is not recorded in any classics or bibliographies from the post-Tang and Song periods onward, possibly because they were not circulated widely.Fourth, the life described in the epitaph of Lü Yu shares internal connections with the extant poetry of Lü Dongbin. As Lü Dongbin gradually became immortalized, most poems attributed to him in various Taoist texts were later forgeries. However, some extant poems of Lü Dongbin show consistency with the Lü Yu described in the epitaph, particularly in three aspects: filial piety, eremitism, and health cultivation. These themes are reflected in the extant poetry of Lü Dongbin.The discovery of the epitaph of Lü Yu holds significance in two respects: First, it reveals Lü Yu’s identity as a member of the Lü family of the middle and late Tang Dynasty, establishing him as a literary figure in his own right. The epitaph reveals key details about the imperial examination and religions, which will contribute to further research on the culture and literature of that period. Second, it further confirms the prototype of Lü Dongbin in the Eight Immortals legend, revealing how immortalized figures evolved from reality. The distinction between the prototype and the immortal is manifested in the process of accumulating and reshaping the immortalized image, and we can grasp the internal logic of Lü Dongbin’s evolution from a real person to a Taoist immortal.
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Received: 02 September 2025
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2026, Vol. 56 
