The Origin of the Seventy-Two Trades
The Origin of the Seventy-Two Trades. Visitors to the Tujia Folk Custom Park in Zhangjiajie all go to see the mountain village workshop area, home to the "three sewers, nine porters, and eighteen craftsmen"—folk masters of rare skills, commonly called the "seventy-two trades." Legend links these trades to the Eight Immortals. Folk verses tell of their origin: the first cave immortal Han...
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The Origin of the Seventy-Two Trades
Anyone visiting the Zhangjiajie Tujia Customs Park must go see the mountain village workshop area, where there are the "three sewers, nine fellows, and eighteen craftsmen"—all folk artisans of extraordinary skill, commonly known as the "seventy-two trades." When it comes to these seventy-two trades, it is said they are connected to the Eight Immortals! There are several folk rhyming couplets that tell of their origin:
The first cave immortal, Han Zhongli, wore a monk's robe of black gauze. His precious robe spread to the Luoyang Bridge, a thousand-year monument firm for ten thousand years—he invented the tailor's trade. The second cave immortal, Lü Dongbin, wore a black gauze cap with a touch of blue, carried a pair of double-edged swords on his shoulder, traveled the whole world without recognizing kin—he created swords and spears. The third cave immortal, Zhang Guolao, claimed the longevity of Pangu. Pangu's longevity was eight hundred and eighty; Guolao's spring was twenty-seven thousand—he became a monk and attained the Way.
The fourth cave immortal, Cao Guojiu, had an official post at court but would not take it; the python robe and jade belt he would not wear. He cultivated the Way on Mount Kunlun, and built twenty-four copper coin boards; board after board came down to press Mount Tai—he became the founding master of the eighteen crafts: gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, stone, wood, carving, flower, lacquer, weaving, plucking, spinning, bamboo, leather, water (butcher), fire (tilemaker), and earth (mason).
The fifth cave immortal, Iron Crutch Li, kept his treasures in a gourd. One day when the East would rise, he stood on one leg without touching the mud—this man loved to catch ghosts, release ghosts, and practice sorcery; the wu, Daoist, and Tulaosi traditions were all started by him.
The sixth cave immortal, He Xiangu, whom everyone says had no husband, whose two ears would not listen to men's words, in the embroidery tower
cultivated the Way—she became a celibate nun, and thereafter the world had nuns and Buddhist nuns.
The seventh cave immortal, Lan Caihe, picked up his flower basket to gather herbs. On the edge of the flower basket were seven characters: Long life without aging, abundant fortune and longevity—he is the founding master of herbalists.
The eighth cave immortal, Han Xiangzi, with a long flute passed down through the ages, blowing so that mountains turned and waters flowed backward, blowing so that flower boys and green girls became wedded couples—the wind musicians, cymbals, gongs, and drums were all created by him.