Short answers, pulled from the story.
Bodhidharma, a Central Asian monk, arrived in China during the late fifth century to teach a special transmission outside scriptures. He died around 528 CE after appointing Dazu Huike as his successor.
Early Chan masters drew heavily from Indian Sarvāstivāda meditation teachings translated by An Shigao and Kumārajīva during the first few centuries of the Common Era. These translations formed the basis for meditation techniques that evolved into what we now recognize as Chan practice.
The Hongzhou school led by Mazu Daoyi emerged as a dominant force within Chan Buddhism during the eighth century. This school developed shock techniques such as shouting, beating, and using irrational retorts to startle students into realization.
During the tenth century under the Song dynasty, encounter dialogues between masters and students were recorded in texts such as the Blue Cliff Record compiled in 1125 and The Gateless Gate published in 1228. These collections crystallized into gong'an practice where snippets of past interactions served as models for contemporary practitioners.
Sheng Yen founded Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan while Hsuan Hua taught Westerners in San Francisco during the early 1960s before founding the City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas on a property near Ukiah covering nearly 240 acres. Wei Chueh created Chung Tai Shan in Taipei County offering seven-day retreats starting in 1982 and Cheng Yen launched Tzu Chi Foundation in 1966 with thirty housewives donating small amounts daily to care for needy families.