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Who systematized the teachings of the Huayan school in China?

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Mahayana Guanyin and attendant bodhisattvas, detail of a painted cave mural, Kansu province, China, early 8th century.

The Huayan school of Buddhism in China was systematized by the monk Fazang (643–712), who is widely considered the school's true founder.12

While Dushun (Fashun) is recognized as the first patriarch who established the school in the late 6th century, it was Fazang—the third patriarch—who formalized its doctrines. Due to his foundational role in organizing these teachings, the school is sometimes referred to as the Xianshou school, a name derived from the spiritual title given to him by Empress Wu Hou. Fazang’s work, such as his Essay on the Golden Lion, articulated the school's core philosophy regarding the interrelation of all phenomena and the identity of facts and ultimate principles.21