Eight Immortals is a group of eight elderly members of the Communist Party of China who held substantial de facto power at the time. In Chinese, however, they are called instead the Eight Great Eminent Officials (八大元老 in pinyin: ba1 lao2), abbreviated as the Eight Elders (八老 ba1 lao2). The majority of the Immortals have died or are very old.

The name originated in the 1990s and is an illusion to the Taoist deities by the same name.

Seven of them are set:

• Deng Xiaoping
• Chen Yun[?] (陳雲), Central Advisory Committee Chairman 1982-1992
• Peng Zhen[?] (彭真), National People's Congress Chairman 1983-1988
• Yang Shangkun (楊尚昆), President of the PRC 1988-1993
• Bo Yibo[?] (薄一波), Central Advisory Committee Vice-Chairman
• Li Xiannian[?] (李先念), President of the PRC 1983-1988
• Wang Zhen[?] (王震), Central Advisory Committee Vice-chairman

The name of the last person varies between:

• Song Renqiong[?] (宋任窮), CAC Vice-Chairman
• Madame Deng Yingchao (鄧穎超), CPPCC Chairwoman 1983-1988
• Sometimes: Wan Li[?] (萬里), NPC Chairman 1988-1993
• Sometimes: Xi Zhongxun[?] (習仲勛 xi2 zhong4 xun1)

Some descendants of these people who are are part of "Crown Prince Party".

See also: People's Republic of China, Politics of China

External links

• AsiaWeek article (http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/0509/nat7.html)