Sufang Lady Temple: A Historic Pilgrimage Site in Quanzhou, Fujian

Sufang Lady Temple is situated at the northern foot of Zijia Mountain, originally part of Changchun [...]

Sufang Lady Temple is situated at the northern foot of Zijia Mountain, originally part of Changchun Township, Thirty-third District, Jinjiang County, under the jurisdiction of Quanzhou Prefecture. It honors the local goddess, Lady Su Liuniang, from southern Quanzhou. According to the ‘Annals of Quanzhou Prefecture’, during the Ming Dynasty’s Chenghua and Wanli reigns, Lady Su Liuniang’s divine powers were prominent in calming wars and quelling Japanese pirates, earning her titles such as Guardian of the Nation and Health, and the Noble Lady of Yansheng Chongfu. The government constructed the temple in front of her tomb following the regulations, which has been standing for 525 years.
The temple suffered from military arson in the early Qing Dynasty but was later rebuilt by the local people and renovated during the sixteenth year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign. A stele with an inscription praising the temple was erected by the Jinjiang County historian. The existing temple is a hanging mountain style brick and wood structure, facing north, covering an area of 700 square meters. The main building consists of the front hall, worship pavilion, courtyard, and the main hall, following the traditional ‘one progress and three open spaces’ style of southern Fujian.

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To the left of the temple is the Gratitude Hall, housing the divine positions of Lady Su’s parents, and the right wing serves as a vegetarian dining area. Behind the temple lies Lady Su Liuniang’s tomb (ant nest), with an inscribed tombstone without any words. A relief of Guanyin sitting is 1.03 meters tall and 0.93 meters wide, well-preserved. In front of the temple, along the southern ring road, stands a recently restored Ming Dynasty octagonal five-story stone pagoda, 7 meters high.

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The Sufang Lady Temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times; it was burned down by the Qing troops in the fifth year of Shunzhi’s reign (1648) and underwent a complete renovation in the sixteenth year of Guangxu’s reign (1890). A donation stele from 1941 still exists. Since then, the temple has suffered damage, and recent comprehensive repairs have been carried out, thanks to donations from overseas Chinese, including those from the Philippines. The temple is open all year round from 8:00 to 17:00.

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