The earliest clear written source is Qing novelist Li Ruzhen's 《
镜花缘》, chapter 74:
我是“金鸡独立”,要一足微长 ('I'll do Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg - one foot needs to be slightly raised'). The phrase became fixed as both a tai chi posture (
太极拳金鸡独立势) and a general description of one-legged standing.