The founder of a craft, religious sect, academic school, or trade; also used as a respectful address to a [[祖师|祖師|zu3 shi1]]

monk who first established a temple or monastery on a mountain

Patron deity of Fujianese and Taiwanese communities; based on the Song dynasty monk Chen Zhaoying, who was known for rainmaking and local miracles; also known as [[落鼻祖|落鼻祖|luo4 bi2 zu3]] because his statue's nose is said to drop as a warning of impending disaster.

An honorific title for [[吕洞宾|呂洞賓|lu:3 dong4 bin1]], a famous Tang Dynasty Taoist and one of the Eight Immortals; revered as a founder of the Quanzhen school of Taoism and a deity who helps those in need.

patron deity or master of stonemasons and builders

venerable founder of Chan Buddhism and the first patriarch of Chinese Zen, often depicted as a semi-mythical figure who traveled from India to China