Northern Qi Buddhists

Zhiyi (; 538–597 CE) also called Tiantai Dashi () and Zhizhe (, "Wise One"), was a Chinese Buddhist monk, philosopher, meditation teacher, and exegete. He is considered to be the founder of the Tiantai Buddhist tradition, as well as its fourth patriarch. Śramaṇa Zhiyi is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of East Asian Buddhist thought and practice. As the first major Chinese Buddhist thinker to construct a comprehensive religious system based primarily on Chinese interpretations, Zhiyi played a crucial role in synthesizing various strands of Mahayana Bud

Chan practitioner

Chinese artist-scholar (531–591)

Emperor of Eastern Wei from 534 to 550

Chinese empress

Empress of Northern Qi from 550-559