Great Grandmaster Hon Jung Lei

Great Grandmaster Hon Jung Lei is a figure from the Eastern Han and Wei-Jin periods, is revered as one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese folklore and Daoist tradition. 

 

A towering man with literary talent and a passion for calligraphy, Hon Jung Lei served as a Han general (hence the “Hon" in his name) before retreating to Zhongnan Mountain after a military defeat. There, he encountered the deity Donghua Dijun, who guided him to Feixian Cliff in Guizhou to cultivate immortality. Upon attaining enlightenment, he became a reclusive figure.

 

Legends recount Hon Jung Lei instructing Lui Jou in the alchemical art of transmuting stone into gold. This association contributed to their veneration as protectors of wealth and gold mines. Hon Jung Lei’s teachings emphasized inner contemplation of the divine, nurturing vitality, and alchemical practices, focusing on internal cultivation to elevate one’s spiritual self.