Fu Dashi, or Fu Xi, the courtesy name of Xuanfeng, was a Zen master born in 497 in Fotang, a town in today's Yiwu city. At the age of 24, he happened to meet the Songtoutuo dharma, who preached Buddhist doctrine to him. Then he chaired a Buddhist shrine on behalf of Sakyamuni, the Buddha's ancestor, and popularized the path to salvation for all living creatures.

The legend of Fu Dashi has gained a high reputation at home and abroad for hundreds of years. The legendary stories were recorded in publications in China and Japan. There were also many mysterious folklore tales about him in history.