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 () References External links 863 births 937 deaths 9th-century Chinese poets 10th-century Chinese poets Chan Buddhist monks Chinese spiritual writers Chinese Zen Buddhists Poets from Hunan Tang dynasty Buddhist monks Tang dynasty poets Writers from Changsha Zen Buddhism writers