Ciguang Nunnery

Ciguang Nunnery

Ciguang Nunnery is a cultural relic protection unit of Huangshan City.

Ciguang Nunnery is situated in Xiongcun, Xiong Township, on the eastern bank of the Jian River at the foot of Zhushan Mountain. Constructed during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it faces west, with a central shrine hall enshrining Guanyin Bodhisattva. The building features two courtyards and three bays, measuring 18 meters in width and 10 meters in depth. The upper hall is an open-plan room, with finely carved wooden elements such as diagonal supports, while the lower hall has side rooms on both sides. The main gate is fitted with a brick-carved door hood, bearing the inscription “Ciguang Nunnery.” To the right of the gate is a living area for nuns, also consisting of two courtyards and three bays, with side rooms on both the upper and lower levels, and a back door leading to the kitchen.

To the south of the shrine hall and against the mountain is the Daughter’s Pavilion. The nunnery was where the sister of Cao Zhenyong, a grand secretary of the Qing Dynasty, pursued a monastic life without shaving her head. A plaque inscribed by Hu Yuanxi of Yi County during the Qing Dynasty details the origins of the nunnery's establishment.

Ciguang Nunnery has been designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Huangshan City.

Xiongcun Village: Located at the southern end of She County, about 8 kilometers from the county seat, Xiongcun Village is the site of the Xiong Township government. It currently comprises 24 villager groups, with 1,316 households and a population of 3,537. The Xiongcun Village Party Branch includes two sub-branches and has 83 party members. In 2009, a new village office building was constructed, equipped with complete facilities. The village's main industries are tea production and tourism, though it lacks collective income and has many residents working away from home, resulting in a per capita net income of 6,435 yuan. The village has 868 mu of arable land and 4,770 mu of mountainous terrain. Xiongcun Village boasts picturesque scenery and abundant tourism resources, including the Zhushan Academy, Ciguang Nunnery, the former site of the Sino-American Cooperative Organization, memorial archways... Detailed information about Xiongcun Village++