Greek mythology tells of the legend of Sisyphus, the man condemned to roll a stone up a mountain every day for eternity, and Chinese folklore has its own equivalent. This is the story of Wu Gang, who tried to become a Taoist immortal by chopping down a cherry laurel. Unbeknown to him, the tree had special healing powers and grew back each time it was cut, leaving Wu to hack away forever as punishment for his hubris.