It is based on the eight races of entities described in Buddhist text who are more powerful than humans on the cosmic scale. In Buddhism, even though these demi-gods are ranked higher than humanity, they are still bound to the Samsara by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jinyong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races.(eg. Qiao Feng obviously represents the Deva, due to his fall from grace, much like Indra in the Indian legends) But as he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.
this is taken from an article online...

Qiao/Xiao Feng = Deva (this much i know)

so, which person represents which race/diety?

could someone a provide a list/links of discussion (even if it is assumptions)?