There a different stories of how he became an immortal. In one he met and old Taoist master in a forest, who at his request gave him prescriptions on how to attain immortality. Shortly after Zhong left this venerable master, he turned to cast a last glance at his hut but found that it had vanished. Another versions claims that during a famine Zhong produced silver coins by miraculous means and distributed them to the poor. One day, a wall of his hermitage collapsed while he was meditating and behind it he discovered a jade vessel which contained prescriptions for attaining immortality. He followed these and was borne away to the immortals on a shimmering cloud.
Zhong Li-quan's symbol was a fan made of feathers or palm leaves. He is usually portrayed as a corpulent man, bald, with a beard that reaches to his navel. In representations of the eight immortals he can also be recognized by the wisps of hair that grace his temples.
