Zhunqing Nunnery

Zhunqing Nunnery

Zhunqing Nunnery, located at No. 5 Zhaitang Lane, Xipan Village, Outing Subdistrict, Longhu District, Shantou City, was founded in the late Ming Dynasty. Thanks to generous donations from benefactors in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the local community, as well as the dedicated efforts of the abbess Venerable Shi Changqing, the nunnery has been completely rebuilt and was inaugurated on January 20, 1994. It is widely renowned for its collection of couplets and plaques authored and inscribed by contemporary monastic and lay masters from the Chaoshan region.

It was originally established as a vegetarian hall by Lin Yulian, a female lay devotee from Ouxia Village during the late Ming Dynasty. By the Qing Dynasty, it was developed into Zhunqing Nunnery under the advocacy of Venerable Shi Fulong from Zhunti Nunnery in Wangwancun, Anbu Town, Chao’an County. During the ten years of the Cultural Revolution starting in 1966, the site was damaged and repurposed as a electroplating workshop. In 1987, starting from the 16th day of the eighth lunar month, Venerable Shi Changqing was invited to take up residence and was soon appointed abbess, taking on the responsibility of revitalizing the nunnery. Over six years, the nunnery was expanded into three main structures: the front, middle, and rear halls. On January 20, 1994 (the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month), a grand ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the reconstruction and the consecration of the Buddha statues.

The mountain gate building was expanded in the spring of 2000 with an investment of 70,000 yuan, and it is tall and majestic. The nunnery faces south and sits north, covering nearly 2 mu (approximately 1,300 square meters) of land, including a construction area of about 1,000 square meters. The front, middle, and rear halls (three-story structures) are approximately 100, 400, and 300 square meters respectively, with additional auxiliary buildings spanning over 100 square meters. The overall layout is rectangular, surrounded by a red brick wall that is 60 meters long and over 20 meters wide. The roofs of each hall are adorned with golden glazed tiles, featuring upturned eaves and gables that shimmer brilliantly. On the marble-paved courtyard, there are displayed precious tripods, incense tables, stone incense burners, as well as planted bodhi trees, larches, elm trees (locally called “chicken silk”), cycads, magnolia, frost bamboo, fragrant mist, and corner flowers. Various flower pots are also arranged in an artful and pleasant layout, creating a beautiful environment. On the inner wall of the southern fence, the six large Chinese characters “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” each half a meter square, are painted in striking visibility.

The front hall is the Heavenly King Hall. On the left and right are large round wooden windows carved with coiled dragons (each with a diameter of 0.9 meters). Inside, the central deity is a white-skinned statue of the Laughing Buddha (Maitreya) seated in meditation. Flanking him are four Heavenly Kings, each over two meters tall, with red, white, blue, and green faces, clad in armor and wearing crowns. One holds a red umbrella, another a green dragon sword, another a pipa (lute), and another a three-headed snake—each exuding formidable authority. To the left is a drum donated by Li Qingjiang, with a diameter of one meter, inscribed with “Heavenly Drum Thunder Sound.” To the right hangs a thousand-jin (500 kg) bronze bell. Behind the Laughing Buddha stands the Vajra Guardian Deity (Weituo), facing the back door.

Zhunqing Nunnery boasts an impressive scale, solemn Buddha statues, complete ritual instruments, the constant sound of Buddhist instruments, and a thriving incense offering tradition. It also features bodhi trees, notable local “chicken silk” (elm) trees, fragrant orchids, exquisite wood carvings, elegant stone engravings, and a beautiful environment.