Lu Dongbin, one of the eight Daoist immortals in Chinese mythology - an ink painting by an ancient Chinese artist Lu Dongbin (吕洞宾) was born in 796 during Tang Dynasty in today's Shanxi Province. Like nearly all classic Chinese scholars, his aspiration was to pass the state-level scholarly exam, that took place once in every four years, to secure an honourable job in a government office. But he failed repeatedly. One day during his travel when he was 46, he met a Daoist immortal who offered to cook lunch for him. During the time waiting for his meal, he fell into sleep. In the dream he passed the exam, became a government official, got married and had many children; decades late, he was found guilty by the throne, lost his job and wealth, watched all his family members die and left alone struggling to survive. Then he woke up and realised it was just a dream while the meal was yet to be served. He thought about his dream and wondered what was the point for earthly success. Hence he decided to become a Daoist and eventually ascended to an immortal's world from Mt Zhongnan. Lu Dongbin is one of the three most popular mythical figures in China with numerous temples everywhere, along with Bodhisattva Guanyin and General Guanyu. Below are two lines from a classic poem attributed to Lu Dongbin: There is a world hidden in every grain; There is a universe boiling in each kettle. 一粒粟中藏世界，半升档里煮山川