The Ma Xiang 马湘

Ma Xiang (? - 856), styled Ziran, was a native of Yanguan County, Hangzhou during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty.

In his youth, he was solely fond of classics and history, and devoted himself to literature; later, he served as a county official. One day, he encountered a Taoist hermit on the road, and afterward followed the hermit to travel extensively across the Jiangnan region (the area south of the Yangtze River).

He was renowned for his extraordinary Taoist magical arts: he was proficient in the refinement of Jindan (the "Golden Elixir," a core concept in Taoist alchemy), and specialized in the preparation of Shenfu Baixue Dan (the "Divine Talisman White Snow Elixir"). A set of verses outlining the formulas and methods for elixir refinement has been passed down to subsequent generations. In the tenth year of the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong (856), he attained Dao (the "Way") and ascended to immortality.