The Mysterious Origins of Xu Fu

Xu Fu remains one of the most enigmatic figures in Chinese history, a man whose legend intertwines with the ambitions of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. According to later disciples, Xu Fu was a student of the legendary strategist and mystic Guiguzi, a figure shrouded in mystery during the Warring States period.

Guiguzi was no ordinary teacher—his disciples included some of the most renowned strategists and statesmen of the era, such as Pang Juan, Sun Bin, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi. If Xu Fu was indeed among them, his knowledge would have been extraordinary, spanning military strategy, divination, medicine, and esoteric arts. Yet, unlike his famous peers, Xu Fu chose a different path: instead of pursuing political power, he wandered the seas, chasing an elusive dream that few could comprehend.

The Fateful Encounter with Qin Shi Huang

In 219 BCE, Emperor Qin Shi Huang embarked on an imperial tour of the Shandong Peninsula. Xu Fu, having anticipated the emperor’s arrival, positioned himself nearby. When he learned that Qin Shi Huang sought skilled mystics, he seized the opportunity.

Xu Fu’s challenge, however, was not the emperor himself but the skeptical chancellor Li Si. Worse yet, Li Si insisted on accompanying Xu Fu on his quest for the mythical “Immortal Mountains,” violating what Xu Fu claimed was a sacred pact with the gods. To prove his legitimacy, Xu Fu had to make Qin Shi Huang see the divine islands himself.

Days later, as the imperial procession reached Zhifu (modern Yantai), Xu Fu gazed intently at the horizon before suddenly exclaiming, “The Immortal Mountains! They appear!” The emperor, awestruck by the vastness of the sea—a sight unfamiliar to a ruler from inland Shaanxi—declared he saw them too. Li Si, squinting, saw only a hazy blur. When he questioned Xu Fu, the mystic retorted, “The emperor sees them. If you cannot, your fortune is lacking.”

The Quest for the Elixir of Immortality

Qin Shi Huang, now convinced of Xu Fu’s powers, privately asked if he could retrieve the elixir of immortality from the gods. Xu Fu, ever the showman, sighed dramatically. “The gods permit me to ascend the mountain, but I cannot bring anything back,” he claimed. “Once, I stole a pill, but it vanished into mist upon leaving.”

Desperate, the emperor proposed a solution: “Ask the gods what they desire in exchange.” Xu Fu, after a theatrical pause, suggested that the deities might favor “young, vibrant offerings”—thousands of virgin boys and girls, along with craftsmen, seeds, and treasures. Qin Shi Huang, obsessed with eternal life, agreed without hesitation.

The Disappearance of Xu Fu

Equipped with a fleet, supplies, and 3,000 youths, Xu Fu set sail from Langya—only to return alone weeks later, appearing aged and weary. He spun a tale of a divine gatekeeper who demanded even greater tributes. The emperor, undeterred, prepared a second expedition, this time with an entire naval force.

Xu Fu departed again—and never returned.

The Legacy of a Deception

Qin Shi Huang waited months in vain, staring at the sea from Langya Terrace, a grand structure he built to oversee the waters. Meanwhile, Li Si, convinced Xu Fu was a fraud, secretly ordered his men to kill the mystic if he ever reappeared.

The emperor’s obsession did not end there. Later, during a stop at the Si River, he staged an elaborate ritual to “retrieve a lost ceremonial cauldron,” claiming a dragon prevented its recovery. The spectacle reinforced his divine mandate—even in failure.

Cultural Impact and Modern Interpretations

Xu Fu’s legend endures as a tale of ambition, deception, and the human desire to conquer mortality. Some historians speculate he may have reached Japan, influencing early Japanese culture—a theory popular in both Chinese and Japanese folklore.

For Qin Shi Huang, the pursuit of immortality became a tragic irony: his very fear of death drove him to embrace mysticism over reason, leaving behind a legacy as much about human frailty as imperial grandeur.

The story of Xu Fu and the First Emperor remains a captivating chapter in history, reminding us that even the mightiest rulers are not immune to the oldest of human dreams—and the cunning of those who promise to fulfill them.