The Legend of the Fox Immortal Hall at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain

December 18，2025

According to legend, during the Chongning era of the Northern Song Dynasty, the 30th Celestial Master, Xujing, was deep in meditation when he suddenly heard the rolling of thunder, signaling the presence of a demon. Before he could investigate, a bewitching woman in yellow robes suddenly knelt before him, her face stained with tears, begging the Celestial Master for salvation.

It turned out that this woman in yellow was a fox spirit who had cultivated in the mountains for two thousand years. Because she had caused no small amount of harm, the Heavenly Court had sent down lightning to destroy her. However, the fox was pregnant; empowered by the fierce protective instinct of motherhood, she dared to trespass into the sanctuary of the Celestial Master’s Mansion.

Celestial Master Xujing felt a surge of compassion and thought to himself: "All things born of Heaven possess their own destiny. The child in her womb is innocent. If I can use this opportunity to guide the fox back to the right path, would that not be a virtuous deed?"

1 2

Thus, Celestial Master Xujing made Three Covenants with the fox:

  1. You must not harm other living creatures.
  2. You must not harass the common people.
  3. You must accept the Precepts, cultivate the Tao, and renounce evil for virtue.

The fox immediately assumed a human posture, cupping her hands and swearing a solemn oath. Seeing her sincere repentance, Celestial Master Xujing proceeded to the Hall of the Ancestral Celestial Master. He burned incense, lit candles, and submitted a formal memorial to the Heavenly Court, explaining the innocence of the unborn life and the fox’s vow to reform.

Moments later, the thunder clouds truly dispersed, revealing a clear, boundless blue sky.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the fox bowed deeply to the Master. From then on, she lived in seclusion on Yuntai Mountain, subsisting on mountain fruits and dedicating herself to cultivating the Tao. Soon after, she gave birth to a healthy, lovely baby girl, whom she named "Little White Immortal."

As time passed, the Fox Mother and "Little White Immortal" repeatedly returned to repay the Master's kindness, performing good deeds that benefited the local people. Gradually, legends of the Fox Immortals spread among the populace.

It is said that when the 43rd Celestial Master was about to ascend (pass away), he left behind a Dharma Decree: "For over a century, the two foxes of Yuntai Mountain have contributed greatly to our Tao and have achieved the Fruit of Immortality. Golden statues should be sculpted within the Celestial Master's Mansion to offer them worship."

The 44th Celestial Master, Zhang Yuqing, obeyed this final command. He converted the Embroidery Pavilion in the central courtyard into the "Fox Immortal Hall" and installed golden statues of the deities. This is the origin of the "Fox Immortal Hall" at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain.

龍虎山天師府的狐仙堂傳說

2025年12月18日

相傳北宋崇寧年間，第三十代天師虛靖天師打坐間，突聞天雷滾滾，似有妖魔現身！未及查看究竟，一名黃衣妖嬈女子猛然跪倒在前，梨花帶雨懇求天師相救。

原來這黃衫女正是山中修煉了兩千年的狐狸，為禍不小，天庭降下雷電欲將其毀滅，然而此狐已有身孕，為母則剛，竟擅闖天師府。

虛靖天師心生憐憫，暗自思量：“天生萬物，皆有造化，腹中孩子卻是無辜。藉此讓狐狸迷途知返，豈非善舉？”於是，虛靖天師與狐狸約法三章：“第一不許殘害其他動物；第二不得騷擾百姓；第三要受戒修道，改惡從善”。

狐狸當即人模人樣拱手立誓，虛靖天師見她誠心悔改，便前往祖天師殿，焚香點燭，向天庭發文申奏，闡明腹中胎兒、改過自新云云。只一會，雷電當真散去，重現碧空萬裏。狐狸感激涕零，拜別天師，從此隱居雲臺山中，以山果為食，潛心修道。不久生下了一個白白胖胖的小女孩，取名“小白仙兒”。

時光荏苒，狐狸攜“小白仙兒”履次報恩，造福一方百姓，民間也漸漸有了狐仙傳說。據說四十三代天師羽化之時，曾留下法旨：“百餘年來，雲臺山二狐對吾道貢獻良多，已成仙果。天師府內可為其塑金身以祀。”四十四代張宇清天師遵從遺命，便將中庭繡花樓辟為“狐仙堂”並塑狐仙金身神像，這便是龍虎山天師府“狐仙堂”的來歷。

< Back to blog
1 3