[1][2][3] Hsing Yun was born Lee Kuo-shen (pinyin: Lǐ Guóshēn) in 1927 in Jiangdu village (modern day Yangzhou), Jiangsu Province in the Republic of China.

[8][9] Following his resignation, Hsing Yun founded the Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) as a layperson based Humanistic Buddhist organization.

[9] Fo Guang Shan eventually grew to become one of the most significant social actors in Taiwan; the organization has established several schools and colleges,[10] and runs orphanages, homes for the elderly, and drug rehabilitation programs in prisons.

Fo Guang Shan's presence in China increased under the premiership of General Secretary Xi Jinping after he started a program to revive traditional Chinese faiths.

To dispel rumors of party switching, Hsing Yun publicly gave his endorsement to KMT candidate Hung Hsiu-chu, who eventually withdrew from the race.

[22] In his older years Hsing Yun began suffering from numerous health issues, including diabetes and near blindness.

[14] Hsing Yun died at his residence in Fo Guang Shan monastery on the afternoon of 5 February 2023, after years of unstable health.

[citation needed] The next day his body was placed in a seated position inside a dome-like container in the shape of the Parinirvana Stupa in Kushinagar, India.

[28] On the morning of 13 February 2023, President Tsai Ing-wen conferred a posthumous presidential citation upon Hsing Yun, extolling his many achievements.