How did He Xiangu, the only female of the Eight Immortals, become immortal? What is the basis?

He Xiangu, the only female of the Eight Immortals, met a Taoist by chance. Besides, she is kind and often helps people, so she is promoted to immortality. The stories of the Eight Immortals generally come from folklore.

First, the legend about He Xiangu.

It is said that when He Xiangu was born, there were six beams of light on his head. At the age of 15, a fairy fell asleep and taught her how to use mica powder. He Xiangu often goes up the mountain to pick wild fruits and is filial to his mother. One day, He Xiangu met a Taoist who gave He Xiangu a peach. After eating peaches, He Xiangu no longer felt hungry and became as light as a swallow. He Xiangu often helps people with the herbs she picks, so her name is particularly famous in their hometown, even known by Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian invited He Xiangu to the palace to cast spells for her, and set up a hall specially for her. After He Xiangu went to see Wu Zetian, he ascended to heaven during the day.

Second, according to legend,

Most stories about the Eight Immortals are sorted out from folklore. The story of He Xiangu was recorded in Taiping Guangji in the Song Dynasty. The record in this book is about a peasant woman who makes shoes and often collects wild fruits for the monks in the temple to eat. The monks in the temple don't know where the peasant woman collected so many wild fruits for their use, but they are extremely grateful to the peasant woman for her behavior and call her a fairy. Since then, He Xiangu's reputation has spread. 、

Third, folk rumors.

There are also dozens of versions of folk rumors about He Xiangu. There is a saying that He Xiangu is a girl who collects herbs and helps villagers solve problems, so she is known as a nun. In the plot adapted from China TV series, when He Xiangu was just an ordinary peasant girl, she was originally born from heaven and was finally recalled to the celestial world by the inspiration of God. There is also a story called the return of the Eight Immortals, which also implies that these people were originally descended from heaven, but returned to their positions one by one.