Tomb of Ren Fengzi

Tomb of Ren Fengzi

The Tomb of Ren Fengzi is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaocheng City.

Tomb of Ren Fengzi

Ren Fengzi, styled Shan and nicknamed Xibei, also known as the Qingling Taoist, was originally from Fan County. He was a Taoist priest during the Chenghua and Hongzhi eras of the Ming Dynasty. Later, he achieved the legendary "liberation of the flesh" (尸解) at the Xianhui Temple on Mount Wuyi on the eastern bank of the Zhangqiu Canal, and was said to have ascended to immortality. Known for his virtues, he was honored as the "Transcendent Immortal" and is commonly called "Great Immortal Ren" among the people. In Zhangqiu Town, Ren Fengzi is a well-known figure—known to both women and children—as a celestial or Taoist-like persona, with many folk tales about him resembling those of the legendary monk Ji Gong. In recent years, nearby villagers have raised funds to build a new temple in his honor. The Tomb of Ren Fengzi is located on the eastern bank of the Zhangqiu Canal in Zhangqiu Town. The existing tomb mound is 2.5 meters in diameter and 1 meter in height. In front of the tomb stands a stone stele, 2 meters tall, 0.8 meters wide, and 0.3 meters thick. The front side features an inscription in running script that reads, “Tomb of the Transcendent Immortal Ren Fengzi of the Ming Dynasty,” while the back side bears an inscription of about 500 small characters titled “A Brief Biography of the Transcendent Immortal Ren Fengzi,” detailing his family background and achievements. This stele was designated as part of the second batch of municipal-level protected cultural relics by the Liaocheng Municipal People's Government in July 2000.