Fairy Maiden Nunnery

Fairy Maiden Nunnery

Fairy Maiden Nunnery: The nunnery is built into a cave, which is spacious enough to accommodate people and divided into front and rear sections. The front hall houses a full-body statue of Guanyin, flanked by Manjushri and Samantabhadra on either side; the east side of the front hall enshrines Kṣitigarbha, while the west side enshrines the Flower Fairy. The rear hall serves as the living quarters, where over a dozen nuns used to reside. The Fairy Maiden Nunnery was first built during the Song Dynasty under the original name “Fairy Rock Upper Temple,” and was originally a monastery for monks. During the Xining era (1068–1077) of the Song Dynasty, Master Baoyue came here from Pucheng. At that time, there was no path leading up to the site, but the master climbed the rocks to reach the cave. From then on, more and more visitors began to come, and the master started teaching disciples. In the Yuan Dynasty, Monk Bin renovated the temple buildings. After nuns moved up to the mountain, the monastery was converted into a nunnery and renamed “Fairy Maiden Nunnery.” It enshrined deities such as Guanyin and Kṣitigarbha, and its incense offerings grew increasingly popular. This continued until the Republican era, when at its peak, the nunnery was home to 18 nuns.

Source: Yingtan Municipal People's Government