The Lu Du 卢度

Lu Du (?–493) was a native of Shixing in the Southern Dynasties (now part of Guangdong Province, China). In his youth, he once joined the army to march north and fight against the Northern Wei Dynasty.

After his army was defeated, the Huai River cut off his retreat. Lu Du vowed that if he could cross the river safely, he would become a Taoist (wear a yellow Taoist hat, a symbol of Taoist practitioners) and never take a life. Later, two floating logs drifted by, and he managed to escape death with their help. Fulfilling his vow, he became a Taoist hermit and secluded himself on Sangu Mountain in Xichang, Luling. He found joy in nature, devoted himself to practicing Taoist teachings, and spent his days in the company of birds and beasts.

Lu Du passed away in the 11th year of the Yongming era of Emperor Wu of the Qi Dynasty (493 AD).

See The History of the Southern Dynasties·Biographies of Hermits (Nan Shi·Yinyi Zhuan).