Qiji (monk)

Qiji (863 - 937), also known by his art name Hengyue Shamen, was a Tang dynasty Chinese Buddhist monk and poet. Qiji wrote more than 852 poems, after Li Bai (701-762), Du Fu (712-770), Bai Juyi (772-846), Yuan Zhen (779-831), he ranks at the fifth position in terms of numbers of poems within the Tang poets. He was one of the big three of Tang dynasty poetmonks, along with Guanxiu (832-912) and Jiaoran (730-799).

Biography
Qiji was born Hu Desheng in 863, in Zuta Village, Weishan Township, Ningxiang, Hunan, to a family of tenant farmers. At the age of 6, he learned writing while grazed cattle for the Tongdu Temple on the mountain. He took refuge in the Three Jewels (became a monk) under Yangshan Huiji (807-883). As Adult, he went out to study and travelled to Yueyang, Changan, Zhongnan Mountains, Mount Huashan, and Jiangxi. When he returned to Changsha, Xu Dongye, a poet in the office of Hunan military governor, said: "The poems we write are not good enough. We can't compare the poems you write." 

In 921, Qiji went to Sichuan via Jingzhou, Gao Jixing (858-929), formally Prince Wuxin of Chu, urged Qiji to stay at Longxing Temple and appointed him as abbot. He died at the age of 76 in Jiangling County, Jingzhou, Hubei.

Works

 * Fengsao Zhiyao
 * Bailian Ji