Lotus Boat Nunnery

Lotus Boat Nunnery

Lotus Boat Nunnery is a cultural heritage site protected by Anfu County.

A place where Liu Shuying’s foster mother practiced Buddhism. Liu Shuying (1620–after 1657), styled Muping and also known as Geshanren (so called because she often lived in Geshan during her seclusion), was from Sanshe Village, Anfu County, Jiangxi Province, and the wife of Wang Ai from Luling (present-day Ji’an, Jiangxi). Her father, Liu Duo (1573–1626), was learned and skilled in literature, resolute and fiercely loyal. In 1626, dissatisfied with the eunuch Wei Zhongxian’s authoritarian rule, Liu Duo angrily inscribed a poem on a fan denouncing him: “When sunlight reaches the king, he dies; when darkness shrouds the state, affairs go wrong.” For this, he was imprisoned and subjected to several tortures, yet remained unyielding until death. Later, Emperor Chongzhen punished the eunuch faction and posthumously awarded Liu Duo the title of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with the posthumous name Zhonglie (Loyal and Heroic). Liu Shuying, raised under such family values, studied the classics and history from an early age and was well-read. But born in the turbulent transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty, she endured many hardships: orphaned in childhood and widowed shortly after marriage. During the Jiawu year, when Li Zicheng captured the military capital, according to Xu Nai’s Biographies of the Lesser Regime: Biographies of Women, Liu Shuying wept bitterly and said, “I regret not being born a man, but how can I alone not destroy this villain and avenge the nation’s disgrace?” In 1646, when Qing troops invaded her hometown of Ji’an, uprisings were breaking out across southern China. Inspired, Liu Shuying spent her family fortune to recruit soldiers and horses, hoping to contribute to defending her homeland. She wrote in her poem “The Military Campaign Is Not Over Yet, My Family Urges Me to Return”: “For generations my family has received the emperor’s grace; our camp at Xiliu is now a formed army. I’ve sold all my jewelry to relieve the national crisis, hoping in the netherworld to comfort the loyal souls.”

At that time, He Tengjiao, stationed in Changsha, was growing in power, and Liu Shuying planned to join him to fight against the Qing together. Unexpectedly, on her way to Chu, she first encountered Yongxin’s defender Zhang Xianbi, who not only lacked resolve to resist the Qing but also wanted to take Liu Shuying as a concubine. The virtuous and unyielding Liu Shuying refused to accept such humiliation and firmly rejected him. Zhang, relying on his superior numbers, had her detained. In her prison cell in Hechuan, Liu, filled with righteous indignation, wrote stirring verses: “I’d grind my iron will and gladly swallow the sword; I’d gouge out both eyes to hang them on the gate. To preserve my chastity, I’d sacrifice this body; why fear my soul being torn apart?” Zhang Xianbi, still harboring evil intentions, tried every means to persuade her, but she rebuked him sternly. She wrote a seven-character quatrain on the prison wall to express her contempt: “Don’t cry to the west wind about my bitter fate; I know parting has always been our lot. Tomorrow I’ll gladly sever my head, and not heed the cawing crows by my ears.”

Intimidated by Liu Shuying’s righteous integrity, Zhang released her and disbanded her forces (some say Liu angrily disbanded them herself). After this turn of events, Liu dismissed her troops and sent them back to their villages. She built a small nunnery outside the southern gate of the county town, where she cared for her foster mother and practiced Buddhism. Then, cutting off her black hair to use as a brush, she dipped it in thick ink and named the nunnery “Lotus Boat Nunnery” to affirm her convictions.

Pingdu Town: Pingdu Town is the seat of Anfu County and serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of the entire county. The town covers a total area of 78.2 square kilometers, with 28,725 mu of arable land, 53,100 mu of forested land, and a population of 76,000. It governs 19 administrative villages, 155 villager groups, and 142 natural villages. The town is home to historical sites such as the Confucius Temple, Dongshan Pagoda, Dongyuan Pavilion, and Lotus Boat Nunnery. Since ancient times, it has produced many talented individuals, including notable historical figures such as Wang Tingwangui, Ouyang Bijin, and Wang Zaoshi.

The Pingdu Town Party Committee and government firmly uphold the concept of scientific development. Focusing on “Opening Up to Strengthen the Town, … Pingdu Town detailed information++

Further reading:

· The Second Batch of County-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Anfu County