[1][2] He is known for his graphical works on Chinese philosophy and literature, most notably on Daoism and Zen Buddhism, which he made accessible and popularized through the use of plain language and engaging illustrations.

[3] He also made a name for himself as an award-winning film director, serialized comic strip creator, widely collected painter, champion bridge player, and premiere collector of antique bronze Buddhist statues.

[4][6][7][8] From 1968 to 1971, he fulfilled three years of compulsory military service, during which time he educated himself in art history, color theory, and design.

[8] It was co-directed by Tsai, Che, and Woo Shu-Yue 胡樹儒, was a box-office success, and won the 1981 Golden Horse Award for best full-length animation.

[8][11][10][12] In 1981, Tsai left Far Eastern Animation and started his own company, Dragon Animation 龍卡通, which brought out the full length-animated movie Old Master Cute Part 3 山T老夫子 in 1983, and in 1984 it brought out Black Dragon Courtyard 烏龍院, based on comics by Ao Yu-hsiang 敖幼祥.

These were followed in 1988 by: Zen Speaks 禪說：尊者的棒喝, The Platform Sutra 六祖墰經：曹溪的佛唱, The Middle Path 中庸：和諧的人生, Roots of Wisdom 菜根譚：人生的滋味, Book of History 史記：歷史的長城, Higher Learning 大學：博大的學問, and Analects 論語：仁者的諍言.

[18] He also published comedic interpretations of classic literature, such as Journey to the West 西游記 (1987-88), Ghosts and Wizards 聊齋志異 (1988), Outlaws of the Marsh 水滸傳 (1988), and White Snake 白蛇傳 (1990), as well as straightforward versions of the poetry of the Tang and Song dynasties (1989).

Overall, Tsai was instrumental in initiating Taiwan's animation and comics boom that began in the 1980s, providing both expertise and unprecedented creative style.