Magu Yuanyun, also known as Magu, was an ancient female immortal. Ge Hong's “Immortal Biography” describes her as the younger sister of the immortal Wang Fangping, a native of Jianchang, who cultivated on Guyu Mountain southeast of Muzhou and was subordinate to Shangzhen Yuanyun. During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty (reigned 147–168), the immortal Wang Fangping descended to Cai Jing's home and summoned Magu. Following the sound of drums and flutes, a crowd of officials surrounded them. They were dressed in splendid clothes and were dazzlingly bright. Their hands looked like bird claws, with top knots and the rest of their hair hanging down to their waists. They said that they had seen the East Sea change into mulberry fields three times. Wang Fangping hosted a banquet in their honor, and Magu sprinkled rice to ward off evil. All the rice she sprinkled turned into pearls. After the banquet, she ascended to heaven and left. Some say that Magu was a person from the Tang Dynasty, surnamed Li, and named Qiongxian. She first entered the palace as a palace maid, and later practiced Taoism in the Wanjing Cave in the Danxia Mountains on Magu Mountain (according to legend, this is one of the 36 Taoist Cave Heavens, west of Nancheng County in Jiangxi Province). She became immortal here, as described in the inscription on the Tang Dynasty Yan Zhenqing 
“Magu Xiantan Ji” stele. Magu is also said to have visited the Ghost City in Fengdu, Sichuan Province. There is a Fairy Maiden Rock in the Ghost City, where Magu once practiced. The legend of Magu has long been popular among the people. It is said that on the third day of the third lunar month, the birthday of the Queen Mother, Magu made wine with lingzhi on the banks of the Jiangzhu River to celebrate her birthday. Magu has become a symbol of good luck and longevity. She is depicted as a beautiful fairy maiden riding a crane into the clouds. Many people who wish a woman a long life give her this image, which is called Magu offering a birthday gift.

 麻姑元君亦称麻姑，是古代一位女仙。葛洪《神仙传》称其为仙人王方平之妹，建昌人，于牟州东南姑馀山修道，为上真元君之亚。东汉桓帝时(147-168年在位)，王方平仙人降于蔡经家，召麻姑。随鼓箫之声，众官簇拥而至，衣着锦绣，光彩夺目，手似鸟爪，顶中作髻，余发垂至腰际，自称已见东海三次变为桑田。王方平设宴招待，麻姑撒米祛秽，所撒之米全部变成珍珠。宴毕升天而去。或谓麻姑，唐朝时人，姓黎，字琼仙，先入宫为宫人，后在麻姑山丹霞宛陵洞天(相传在江西南城县城西，道教三十六洞天之一)修道，并于此得道成仙，事见唐颜真卿 
《麻姑仙坛记》碑文。据传麻姑亦到过四川酆都鬼城。鬼城有麻姑洞仙姑岩，麻姑曾于此修炼。麻姑传说久已流行民间，相传旧历三月初三为王母娘娘的寿辰，麻姑于绛珠河畔用灵芝酿美酒为其祝寿。麻姑连成为吉祥长寿的象征。形象为一跨鹤腾云的漂亮女仙。祝女寿者多赠以此像，称麻姑献寿。