Xiang Chang, whose courtesy name was Ziping, was a native of Chaoge in Henei Commandery. He lived in seclusion and refused to take office. Being naturally inclined toward moderation and harmony, he delighted in studying the Laozi(Dao De Jing) and the Book of Changes (I Ching, Yijing). Because he was too poor to sustain himself, well-meaning people would take turns bringing him food. Whenever he accepted their gifts, he would only take what was sufficient for his needs and return the rest.
During the Xin dynasty, Wang Yi, the Minister over the Masses under Wang Mang, repeatedly summoned him over several years, intending to recommend him to Wang Mang. Xiang Chang firmly declined, and only then did Wang Yi cease his efforts.
While in quiet seclusion at home, Xiang Chang was reading the Book of Changes. Upon reaching the hexagrams of “Decrease” and “Increase,” he sighed deeply, saying, “I now understand that wealth is inferior to poverty, and nobility is inferior to lowliness; the only thing I do not yet know is whether death is better than life!”
During the Jianwu era of the Eastern Han dynasty, after his children had all been married off, he instructed his family to sever all household affairs from his involvement, telling them to treat him as if he were already dead. From then on, he followed his desires and traveled with his kindred spirit, Qin Qing of Beihai, to roam the famous mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks. Ultimately, his final destination and fate remain unknown.
Note
Daoist recluse Xiang Chang mastered Dao De Jing and I Ching, rejecting Wang Mang’s official summons. After marrying off his children, he cut off family chores and roamed the Five Sacred Peaks with his friend Qin Qing, vanishing without a trace.
Xiang Chang / Xiang Ziping):
A legendary Daoist hermit of the Han dynasty. His name became a cultural synonym for ultimate detachment and spiritual freedom. In later Chinese literature, “Ziping’s wanderings” became a poetic trope for retiring from worldly duties to seek enlightenment in nature.
Hexagrams of Decrease and Increase (损益卦):
In the Book of Changes, “Decrease” (Sun) and “Increase” (Yi) represent the cyclical nature of fortune and misfortune. Xiang Chang’s realization that “wealth is inferior to poverty” reflects the Daoist understanding that worldly gains often bring spiritual losses, and true contentment lies in embracing simplicity.
Severing Household Affairs:
This is a profound philosophical act of self-erasure. By asking his family to treat him as “dead” after fulfilling his Confucian duty of marrying off his children, Xiang Chang symbolically severed all social and familial ties, achieving complete spiritual liberation in his twilight years.
Roaming the Five Sacred Peaks:
The Five Sacred Mountains are deeply sacred in Chinese geography and Daoist cosmology. Wandering these peaks represents the ultimate Daoist pursuit of harmonizing with nature, seeking immortality, and transcending the mortal realm.
Qin Qing:
Xiang Chang’s close friend and fellow traveler. Their joint disappearance into the mountains highlights the Daoist ideal of kindred spirits embarking on a shared spiritual journey, leaving the mundane world behind forever.
向长字子平，河内朝歌人也。隐居不仕，性尚中和，好通《老》、《易》。贫无资食，好事者更馈焉，受之，取足而反其余。王莽大司空王邑辟之连年乃至，欲荐之於莽，固辞乃止。潜隐於家，读《易》至损益卦，喟然叹曰：“吾已知富不如贫，贵不如贱，但未知死何如生耳！建武中，男女嫁娶既毕，敕断家事勿相关，当如我死也。”於是遂肆意与同好北海禽庆俱游五岳名山，竟不知所终。
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