Dongchu
Taiwanese writer (1908–1977)
Dongchu (Chinese: 東初; pinyin: Dōngchū, 1907–1977) was a Chinese Chan Buddhist master in mainland China and later in Taiwan, and also the teacher of respected modern-day Chan master Sheng-yen. He is the 51st generation of Chan/Zen patriarch from the Caodong school (See lineage chart). He also established several monasteries and organizations in Taiwan that continue to exist and expand to this very day, including Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Culture and Nung Chan Monastery.
He was born in Jiangsu province, China. At his early education period, he studied with various prominent monks such as Master Aiting and Master Nanting from the Zhulin Buddhist Institute in Zhenjiang. He then pursued his study further at Minnan Buddhist Institute in Xiamen, and studied under renowned scholar-monk and modernist Master Taixu. His peers in the institute include Master Yinshun, Zhumo, and Cihang (Tzuhang) – all of whom also became influential monks.
After graduating from Minnan Buddhist Institute, Ven. Dongchu then became dean of the prestigious school Jiaoshan Buddhist Institute. At the same time, he was abbot of the Dinghui Monastery in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.
The public source identifies “Dongchu” as taiwanese writer (1908–1977). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Dongchu, Taiwanese and writer.
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The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4170857. VIAF identifies the subject as 1485557. The Library of Congress control number is n86035759. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1907 and 1977.
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This entry incorporates text from “Dongchu” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.