Remains of the Religion of Light in Xiapu (霞浦) County, Fujian Province

chapter 13 Remains of the Religion of Light in Xiapu (霞浦) County, Fujian Province

Ma Xiaohe

This paper draws attention to the recent discoveries in Xiapu County, Fujian province, on the development and survival of the Religion of Light in this area. Whilst this sect could have disappeared like many others, a legend about Lin Deng survived and won popularity among the locals. His merits were recorded in many local gazettes and he was conferred with the title of “Chief Thunder Apostle” by the officials with the approval of the imperial throne. Since then this cult has gained legal protection, tremendous influence among local people, and has survived for nearly a millennium. Most importantly, quite a few manuscripts of this cult survive and are now in the possession of priests in Baiyang Township. Xiapu is a county in the northeast part of Fujian Province, bordering the East China Sea. Its administrative history over the centuries is summarized below:

Dynasty Reign/year Xiapu

Tang 唐 618–907 Wude 武德 6 (623) Changxi County 长溪县 Yuan 元 1271–1368 Zhiyuan 至元 23 (1286) Funing Prefecture 福宁州 Ming 明 1368–1644 Hongwu 洪武 2 (1369) Funing County 福宁县 Chenghua 成化 9 (1473) Funing Prefecture 福宁州 Qing 清 1644–1911 Yongzheng 雍正 12 (1734) Funing Prefecture 福宁府 Xiapu County 霞浦县 Republic 民国 1911–1949 Belongs to Minhai Circuit 闽海道 People’s Republic of China Belongs to 中华人民共和国 1949– Fuan District 福安专区 Ningde District 宁德地区 Ningde City 宁德市

Xiapu County is divided into two sub-districts 街道, six towns 镇, three townships 乡, and three townships of minorities. The remains of the Religion of Light are in: Baiyang Township 柏洋乡 and Yantian She Nationality Township 盐田畲族乡. The Moni Gong 摩尼宫 (Mani Temple) in Taimu Mountain belonged to the Funing Prefecture until the 4th year of Qianlong 乾隆 (1739), but is now under the jurisdiction of Fuding City 福鼎市.

1 Moni Gong 摩尼宮 (Mani Temple)

Dr. Ralph Kauz, in his lecture “Der ‘Mo-ni-gong’ 摩尼宮—ein zweiter erhal- tener manichäscher Tempel in Fujian?” delivered to the 4th International Con- ference of Manichaean Studies (Berlin, July 1997), cited evidence from local gazettes regarding this temple. One of the earliest references to it appeared in an essay written in the year 879 about Mount Taimu 太姥山 by Lin Song 林嵩 which was published in a local gazette. Although Kauz mentioned the conversion of Lin Deng 林瞪 to the Religion of Light in his biography in Xiapu Baiyang-xiang Lin-shi zu pu 霞浦柏洋乡林氏族谱 (Genealogy of Lin Clan in Baiyang Township, Xiapu [County]), he did not cite the full text.1 That was left to Prof. Lin Wushu who published it in 2003, but he stated that we needed more evidence than the name of the temple to establish whether it was used by the followers of Mani.2 That evidence has now come to light. Chanyang Village 禅洋村 (present-day Shenyang Village 神洋村) belongs to the Baiyang Township. Sun Mian 孙绵 one of the ancestors of the Sun Clan in Chanyang Village, established the Longshou Si (Dragon Head Temple) of the Religion of Light in Shangwan natural village in a.d. 966.

1 In: R.E. Emmerick, W. Sundermann, P. Zieme, eds, Studia Manichaica. iv. Internationaler Kongreß zum Manichäismus, Berlin, 14.–18. Juli 1997, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berichte und Abhandlungen Sonderband 4 (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 2000) 334–341. 2 Lin Wushu 林悟殊, Zhong gu san yi jiao bian zheng 中古三夷教辩证 (Debate and Research on the Three Persian Religions: Manichaeism, Nestorianism, and Zoroastrianism in Mediae- val Times), (Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 2005) 54.