The Huayan school (Chinese: 華嚴宗; pinyin: Huáyán Zōng; Japanese: Kegon; Korean: 화엄종 (Hwaeom jong); Sanskrit: Avataṃsaka) or Flower Garland is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that flourished in China during the Tang period. It is based on the Sanskrit Flower Garland Sutra (S. Avataṃsaka Sūtra, C. Huayan Jing) and on a lengthy Chinese interpretation of it, the Huayan Lun. The name "Flower Garland" is meant to suggest the crowning glory of profound understanding.

The Hua-yen school was established during the period of the end of the Sui and beginning of Tang Dynasty (c. 600-700 C.E.). The Tiantai-school, which was favoured by the Sui Dynasty, fell in digrace. The Tang rulers favoured Taoism, but under Emperor Taizong (627–650) interest in Buddhism, especially Yogacara, relived at the court. Empress Wu Zetian (684–705) supported the Hua-yen school of Fazang.

The founding of the school is traditionally attributed to a series of five "patriarchs" who were instrumental in developing the schools' doctrines. These five are (Wade-Giles in brackets):

Hua Yan (simplified Chinese: 华嵒; traditional Chinese: 華嵒; pinyin: Huà Yán; Wade–Giles: Hua Yen; 1682 – 1756) courtesy name Qiu Yue (秋岳), sobriquets Xinluo Shan Ren (新罗山人), Dong Yuan Shen (东园生), Bu Yi Sheng (布衣生)， and Li Hou Ju Shi (离后居士） was a Qing Dynasty Chinese painter. He was born in Shanghang (上杭) Fujian province and lived in Yangzhou and later in Hangzhou.. Yan's work is within the tradition of the Yangzhou school and is often named as one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.

Jerry Yan (Chinese: 言承旭; pinyin: Yán Chéngxù) was born 1 January 1977. He is a Taiwanese actor and member of Taiwanese boy band F4. His birth name is Liao Yangzhen (Chinese: 廖洋震; pinyin: Liào Yángzhèn).

With his role as "Dao Ming Si" (Chinese: 道明寺; pinyin: Dào Míngsì) in Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden (流星花園) and its sequel Meteor Garden II, Jerry became popular across Asia. At the conclusion of the series, Jerry along with the other members of F4: Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu continued to perform together and released three studio albums as quartet boy band F4.

When not in F4, he, like the others, has his own successful solo career as both a singer and an actor. In 2006 he portrayed Dr Su Yi Hwa in critically acclaimed Taiwanese drama The Hospital which co-stars Leon Dai. He continues to act in other television series such as Hot Shot in 2008 with Wu Chun of Fahrenheit and Show Luo and Down With Love in 2010 with Ella Chen of S.H.E..

Jerry released his debut solo album, Jerry for You (Chinese: 第一次) in 2004. The track "一公尺" (One Meter) is listed at number 86 on Hit Fm Taiwan's Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart (Hit-Fm年度百首單曲) for 2004. The album was awarded one of the Top 10 Selling Mandarin Albums of the Year at the 2004 IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards, presented by the Hong Kong branch of IFPI.

Joseph Cheng, also known as Joe Cheng, (traditional Chinese: 鄭元暢; simplified Chinese: 郑元畅; pinyin: Zhèng Yuánchàng) was born on 19 June 1982. He is a Taiwanese model, actor and singer. Although he started his career as a model, Cheng is well known for his role as Jiang Zhishu in Taiwanese drama serial version of Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss, It Started with a Kiss. Cheng has gained much recognition as an actor in most parts of Asia, particularly Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines and Japan. Cheng released his debut EP, Sing a Song, in October 2009. The title of the EP as well as its title track is a play on the third word in his name, Chang (暢) as a homophone of the word “Sing” (唱) in Chinese.

Joe Cheng, who was previously (prior to 2005) known as Bryan Cheng, grew up in Beitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. Since his parents’ divorce when he was in primary school, he has lived with his father. He also has an elder sister, who lives with their mother. Cheng has once professed that his parents’ divorce influenced his lack of faith in love and made him rather embarrassed by his mother’s absence as a child.