Ye Fashan

Ye came from Kuocang, in the area of present-day Lishui, Zhejiang, and belonged to a family associated with Daoist arts. His courtesy names were Daoyuan and Taisu. His biography associates him with talismans, exorcistic rites and traditional healing arts; these describe his religious reputation, not evidence of medical effectiveness.

He traveled among sacred mountains and was summoned to court during the reigns of Gaozong, Wu Zetian and Zhongzong. In 713, under Xuanzong, he received the office of Honglu Qing, the title Duke of Yue, and leadership of Jinglong Abbey. These appointments connect his religious career with Tang imperial patronage.

Honors continued after his death. In the Northern Song, imperial titles granted in 1116 and 1120 included the designations fashi and zhenren. These later honors belong to the history of his commemoration, not to offices he held while alive. The Chinese biography used here dates his birth to 616, while the bilingual reference gives 631; both give 720 as his death year.