Zhifu Nunnery

Zhifu Nunnery

Zhifu Nunnery is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

Also known as the Temple of Lady Xue Si, Zhifu Nunnery is located in Qingdang Village, about 3 kilometers southwest of Dangkou Ancient Town. The nunnery was first built in the first year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1796). It enshrines the unique plague god of the Dangkou region. Currently, three main halls and a five-bay theater building remain.

The main hall is a single-story building with a flush gable roof, facing south, and spans three bays with a width of 9.51 meters and a depth of 7.87 meters. As a hall-style structure with a flush gable roof, although it has undergone multiple renovations, most of the wooden and stone structural components such as beams, pillars, purlins, rafters, and bracket sets are original from the time of construction. The four eave pillars and two inner pillars are made of granite. The main beams and moon beams are made of thick, sturdy materials with exquisitely carved patterns. The carvings on the doors and windows are also delicate and beautiful. On the two granite eave pillars in the central bay are inscribed a pair of couplets: “Manifesting divine power to drive away plagues, the majestic temple stands for a thousand autumns.” Inside the hall, two granite inner pillars also bear the inscriptions: “Purging bandits and dispelling evil brings peace to the regions of Jiang and Huai; washing the heart and cutting flesh exemplifies both loyalty and filial piety.”

The theater building faces north and stands opposite the main hall, with a convex-shaped floor plan and two stories in height. The lower level serves as a passageway, while the upper level contains the front and back stages of the theater. The front stage protrudes, measuring 4.23 meters in width and 3.34 meters in depth, with an octagonal caisson ceiling above, featuring intricately stacked bracket sets and “phoenix-head ang” decorations, making it highly refined and ornate. The left and right stone pillars at the stage opening are inscribed with a couplet: “Red pillars and carved rafters indeed show old forms in new guise; from ancient times to the present, do not say all on stage is but illusion.” The roof is in the hip-and-gable style, with upturned eaves, presenting a simple and elegant beauty. The backstage area spans five bays, measuring 18.3 meters in width and 3.53 meters in depth, with a flush gable roof.

It was listed as a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province in 2006.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units