The Zhao Jiuyuan 赵九渊

Zhao Jiuyuan was a native of Longzhou (now Long County, Shaanxi Province) in the early Yuan Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jidao, and his literary name was Zhanranzi.

According to Inner Biographies of Immortal Sages from the Ancestral Court of Mount Zhongnan (Volume 1): Zhao Jiuyuan studied under the Great Master Danyang. He extensively read classics and historical records, and was skilled in writing. Every essay he composed, every poem he chanted, and every gift message or reply he wrote all elaborated on the profound principles of Daoism, expressed deep and subtle emotions, and integrated the essence of "Hunyuan" (the primordial chaos in Daoist cosmology) and "Zhusi" (the birthplace of Confucianism, representing Confucian thought) into a unified realm, which was embodied in his works.

For this reason, his reputation in Daoism was lofty and respected, and the influence of his teachings spread widely across the western regions (referring to the area west of the Central Plains in ancient China).

Among his disciples, the most famous one was Zhao Zhichong.