Fang-chang Chin., lit. “Square Fathom,” also called Fang-hu (“Square Urn”); one of the three isles of the immortals off the east coast of China. They are the home of the immortals and the epitome of ultimate bliss. The search for these islands (P’eng-lai, Ying-chou) is an important feature of religious Taoism (tao-chiao).
A Taoist text dating from the 4th or 5th century gives the following description of Fang-chang: “The island of Fang-chang is in the exact center of the eastern ocean. Its four coasts, facing west, south, east, and north, form a perfect square, each side of which is five thousand miles long. The island is a favorite dwelling place of dragons. On it there are palaces of gold, jade, and crystal. . . . Immortals who do not wish to ascend to Heaven travel to this continent, where they receive their ‘certificate of the primordial source of life.’ Several hundred thousand immortals live there. They till the fields and plant the herb of immortality . . . . There are also rocks of jade and many springs, among them the ‘Nine [life-giving] Springs.’ The rulers of the land are married to princesses, who rule over water spirits, dragons, sea snakes, whales, and all other marine animals” (Bauer 1974, p. 151).
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Fang-chang documents
Books on Fang-chang
External links