济公传说是以南宋禅宗高僧道济的故事发展演变而来的一种民间口头文学，以天台为中心分布于浙江省境内，并由此辐射全国，影响世界。
The legend of Buddist Jigong is a kind of dictation folktale literature based on the story of the celebrated Zen Buddhist Daoji during the South Song Dynasty. With Tiantai as the center, it spread radially all over Zhejiang Province and even the whole country and had an influence on the world.
六朝隋唐时期，天台就流传着许多罗汉、癫僧的传说。南宋早期，道济降生于天台，佯狂济世，人称“济癫”。在道济的生前身后，天台出现了许多关于他的灵异传说，为人们所津津乐道。明清以来，济公传说广泛流传于全国各地，成为家喻户晓的民间故事。
During the Sui Tang era of the Six Dynasties, many tales of Arhat, the mad monk were already circulating in Tiantai. In the early South Song Dynasty, Daoji was born in Tiantai, dedicated to helping the poor out by pretending to be someone mad, called “mad monk Jidian” by the locals. Before the birth and after the death of Daoji, many strange storied had happened about him in Tiantai and people enjoyed telling these stories among them. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Legend of Buddhist Jigong has been circulating so widely all over the country that almost every household knows the folktale.
天台的济公传说内容涉及降龙罗汉投胎的济公出世传说，神童李修元的少年济公传说，济公癫狂济世、惩恶扬善、扶危济困、戏佞降魔的传说等。与济公相关的民俗风物传说也十分丰富。

The legend of Jigong of Tiantai contains the parts about the birth of Jigong who was the incarnation of the dragon-taming Arhat and the teenager of Jigong who was actually the genius named Li Xiuyuan in addition to the episodes about his worldly salvage in disguise, punishment of the wicked and advocacy of the good, poverty relief and rescue, and fooling the flatterers and subduing the monsters. And there are also a multitude of sceneries and stories related to Jigong.

济公传说依附于真实的历史人物，具有地域的原生性，同时突出神秘的超自然力，具有情节的神奇性。此外，传说广泛涉及生活的各个层面，内容丰富多样，反映着民众的喜怒哀乐，具有鲜明的人民性。主人公的作为也夹杂了禅宗思想和罗汉信仰。
The legend of Jigong was based on the real historical figure, with strong, local “crude quality” while highlighting the mysterious supernatural power contributing to the magical elements of the plot. Besides, the legend concerns almost every tier of life unfolded in great richness and diversity, reflecting the joy, anger, sadness, and happiness of the populace, which exhibit the affinity with the people. And the behavior of the hero has expressed both the Zen thought and the Arhat belief.
八百多年来，济公传说已成为文学艺术取之不尽的素材，在小说、书画、雕塑、影视等领域都有生动体现。同时，济公传说作为一种独特的文化现象，深深地印刻在民众的心里，对推进当代道德教育和中华民族精神的传承必将产生积极的促进作用。
Over the past 800 years, the legend of Jigong has become an inexhaustible source of literature and art, finding vivid embodiment in fiction, book, pictorial, statue, film and TV play. Meanwhile, as a unique cultural phenomenon, it has taken root in the bottom of people’s heart and will play a positive role in promoting the contemporary moral education and passing on the spirit of the Chinese nation.
由于生存的历史环境业已改变，原生态的济公传说目前已处于濒危状态，急需采取切实措施加以保护。
Due to the already changed historical environment of existence, the legend of Jigong in its crude state is now being endangered and urgent protective measures have to be taken so as to preserve it in the days to come.