Legends about Daoism's Eight Immortals came into being during during the Yuan and Song Dynasties. Stories tell that the Eight Immortals (ba xian) were once average folk who performed incredible feats and, through them, gained immortality. Each one of the immortals symbolizes some aspect of life - rich and poor, old and young, male and female, high-born and low-born. Built during the Ming Dynasty , the Temple of the Eight Immortals pays homage to the memory of these legends, and to the balance of the Dao.