New Delhi: The Laughing Buddha also known as Hotei in Japan or Pu-Tai in China is thought to be based on an actual wandering Chinese monk who lived at the time of the Liang Dynasty
6. Laughing Buddha may be found sitting on a cart drawn by boys, or wielding a fan called an oogi (said to be a "wish giving). All of these images display Hotei as a wandering monk who goes around and takes the sadness from people of this world.