The Zhang Yu 张雨

Zhang Yu was a native of Qiantang in Wujun (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province) during the Yuan Dynasty. He also went by the given name Sizhen, the courtesy name Tianyu, and the literary names Zhenjuzi (Master of Pure Dwelling) and Juqu Waishi (External Historian of Juqu).

As recorded in Gazetteer of Zhejiang (Zhejiang Tongzhi): At the age of 20, he abandoned his family to become a Taoist adherent and traveled extensively to famous mountains such as Tiantai and Kuocang. He studied under Zhou Dajing, a master of the Shangqing School (Supreme Purity School) based on Maoshan Mountain, and received the Dadong Jinglu (Great Cavern Scripture and Register)—a core ritual text and ordination credential in Taoism. Later, he entered Kaiyuan Palace in Hangzhou, where he studied under Wang Shouyan, a disciple of Zhang Liusun (a prominent Yuan Dynasty Taoist leader). In the 2nd year of the Huangqing era (1313), he followed Wang Shouyan to the imperial capital (present-day Beijing).

In the Zhizhi era of the Yuan Dynasty (1322), Kaiyuan Palace was destroyed by fire. Zhang Yu then returned to Maoshan Mountain and served as the abbot of Chongshou Temple, never leaving the mountain again afterward.

Zhang Yu was renowned for his poetry and prose, earning him the reputation of a "great Taoist poet." He maintained close friendships with prominent literati of his time, including Yu Ji, Yang Zai, and Jie Xisi.

His works are characterized by meticulous research and profound erudition, including: