Idiom: bā xiān guò hǎi, gè xiǎn shéntōng

中国古代传说中,有八位神仙（铁拐李、汉钟离、张果老、蓝采和、何仙姑、吕洞宾、韩湘子、曹国舅）,他们个个本领高强.有一次,八仙在蓬莱阁上聚会饮酒.等到大家都快喝醉的时候,铁拐李提议乘兴到海上一游.其他仙人齐声附和,并说好各自凭自己的本事过海,不能坐船.

In ancient Chinese legend, there were eight immortals (Iron-Crutch Li, Han Chung-li, Chang Kuo-lao, Lan Tsai-ho, Ho-Hsien-Ku, Lu-Tung Pin, Han Hsiangtzu and Tsao Kuo Chiu). Each was a master of individual and unique abilities. They were once gathered and drinking in Penglai Pavilion and on the verge of drunkenness, Iron-Crutch Li suggested taking a trip to the sea. The other immortals agreed and upped the ante, saying they could not take a boat but had to cross the sea using their martial skills.

汉钟离首先把手里的大芭蕉扇往海里一扔,躺在扇子上,向远处漂去.何仙姑将荷花往水中一抛,她站在荷花上,也随着波浪飘走了.随后,吕洞宾、张果老、曹国舅、铁拐李、韩湘子、蓝采和也纷纷将各自的宝物抛入水中,借助宝物大显神通,游向大海深处.

Han Chung-li went first, throwing his palm-leaf fan onto the sea, laying on top of it and floating away. Next, Ho-Hsien-Ku threw her lotus onto the water and stood on it, also floating away. Then, Lu-Tung Pin, Chang Kuo-lao, Tsao Kuo Chiu, Iron-Crutch Li, Han Hsiangtzu, and Lan Tsai-ho each threw their various personal treasures onto the water and one after another, using supernatural powers, crossed the depths of the sea.

"八仙过海 各显神通"原指八个神仙凭自己的本事过海,现指做事各有各的办法.

The original meaning of "bā xiān guò hǎi, gè xiǎn shéntōng" is eight immortals crossing the sea with their personal and unique abilities. Now it means each person trying their best, for all one's worth.

(Source: myechinese.com)