The Xu Fang 徐舫
Paul PengShare
Xu Fang (1358-1426) was a native of Tonglu, Zhejiang during the Ming Dynasty. His courtesy name was Fangzhou, and his literary name was Cangjiang Sanren (Hermit of the Azure River).
In his youth, he enjoyed playing cuju (an ancient Chinese ball game similar to soccer). Later, he studied for the imperial civil service examinations, but soon gave it up. He was famous for his poetry, made friends with many renowned scholars, and was as well-known as Liu Ji, Ye Chen, Song Lian and other prominent figures of his time.

Later, he put on a yellow headgear (a symbol of Taoist priests) and lived in seclusion in a thatched cottage, no longer associating with others, and devoted himself entirely to Taoist practice.
His poetry collections Cangjiang (Azure River) and Yaolin (Jade Forest) have been passed down to later generations.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is one of the curators of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →