The Yang Xi 杨羲

A native of Wu region during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he later resided in Jurong (now part of Jiangsu Province) and styled himself Xihe.

From a young age, he was eager to learn and skilled in calligraphy and painting; he also possessed the innate ability to perceive spiritual phenomena (a Taoist concept referring to the capacity to connect with the divine or supernatural).

As he grew older, he developed a profound, virtuous, and composed temperament.

He maintained a close friendship with Xu Mai and Xu Mi. Upon Xu Mi’s recommendation, he served Prince Xiang (namely Emperor Jianwen of the Jin Dynasty) and was appointed as a personal secretary in the prince’s mansion.

After Emperor Jianwen ascended to the throne, Yang Xi no longer held official positions.

Texts such as Zhen Gao (Declarations of the True) and Qingwei Xianpu (Genealogy of Immortals of the Clear and Subtle) recognize him as one of the founders of the Shangqing School (a major Taoist tradition centered on revealed scriptures and inner cultivation).

In the fifth year of the Yonghe era (349), he received the Zhonghuang Zhi Hubao Fu (Talisman of the Central Yellow to Control Tigers and Leopards); in the sixth year (350), he further received the Lingbao Wufu Jing (Scripture of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure) from Liu Pu, the eldest son of Lady Wei (a revered Taoist master); in the second year of the Xingning era (364), he obtained the Shangqing Zhenjing (True Scripture of the Highest Clarity). Additionally, he claimed to have received dictation from immortals and compiled a large number of Taoist scriptures and esoteric texts. During the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty (1119–1125), he was posthumously conferred the title "Dongling Xianhua Zhide Zhenren" (True Person of Profound Virtue, Manifested Spirit, and Cavernous Numinosity) by imperial decree.