徐福 (Xúfú): Xu Fu (3rd century BC)

Meanings

1 Xu Fu (3rd century BC)
2 Qin dynasty court necromancer/alchemist sent by Qin Shi Huang to find the elixir of immortality

Characters

徐

Examples

据说徐福东渡日本，再也没有回来。

Jùshuō Xúfú dōngdù Rìběn, zài yě méiyǒu huílái.

Legend says Xu Fu sailed east to Japan and never returned.

秦始皇派徐福去寻找长生不老药。

Qín Shǐhuáng pài Xúfú qù xúnzhǎo chángshēng bùlǎo yào.

Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu to find the elixir of immortality.

Tips

history

Recorded in 《史记》 (Shǐjì, Records of the Grand Historian). Qin Shi Huang gave him a fleet of ships and 3,000 young men and women to find the immortals' isles. He sailed east and disappeared — Japanese folklore identifies him as having landed there, with shrines dedicated to him in Wakayama and Saga.

In Pop Culture

徐福东渡 Xúfú dōngdù

Xu Fu's voyage east

A recurring motif in Chinese and Japanese historical fiction, anime, and games (e.g. Fate/Grand Order features Xu Fu as a Servant). Often invoked when discussing early China-Japan contact.