Xian Fu Ren ~ Who in the World Was She?
Ranked #10,187 in Culture & Society, #206,318 overall
Xian Fu Ren is China's First Great Heroine!
Mme Xian (512-602 CE) lived during the tumultuous years of the Period of Disunity and Partition and the early years of the Sui Dynasty. She was a Li Minority Group figure from Gaoliang village, Guangzhou in Guangdong Province.
When she was a little girl, Xian was very clever, brave and learnt the secrets of warfare. She became very famous for this and became a great leader in Hainan, teaching the people skills in irrigation, farming and textile production.
Zhou En Lai proclaimed her the first heroine in Chinese history and Jiang Ze Min thought we should learn from her citizenship.
Image: drs2biz | Lens Updated: February 29th, 2011 @ 4:05 pm Beijing time.
Learn More About Xian Fu Ren (Mme Xian)!
A quick look at what's on this page!
- Countdown to Mme Xian's Festival!
- Xian Fu Ren Had a Very Interesting Life!
- Xian Fu Ren ~ a Heroine!
- Xian Fu Ren's Statue and Temple in Xin Po!
- Images of Xian Fu Ren's Festival on Flickr!
- Xian Fu Ren Water Altar in Front of Temple!
- Xian Fu Ren at Hainan Provincial Museum!
- Image at Xian Fu Ren Miao in Haikou!
- Xian Fu Ren Books on Amazon!
- Xian Fu Ren Statue in Guangdong!
- DRS Business Consultants
- Thoughts, Comments & Queries on Mme Xian!
- Did You Enjoy Reading About Mme. Xian?
- More About Lensmaster 'drs2biz'...
A four day festival to celebrate Xian Fu Ren...
Countdown to Xiantai Furen Wenhua Jie (Mme. Xian Cultural Festival)
Xian Fu Ren Had a Very Interesting Life!
Mme Xian: diplomat, military leader is beloved in Hainan...
Mme Xian was born at the Yang Jiang area of Gao Liang Jun (now Guangdong Province) into a "Nan Yue" (Non-Chinese) family that controlled the large areas of Gaozhou County, Dianbai County and Maoming County. Her older brother was an official in the court of the Liang rulers, so there was a strong connection between the Yue and Liang ruling classes in this period.In 535 CE, Mme Xian married Feng Bao, the Governor ("Satrap") of Gaoliang. Feng Bao was also the son of Luozhou's Regional Official, Feng Rong. This marriage linked Chinese and Yue families even closer in the southern part of China. Mme Xian was a major political figure in Guangdong, and a military and political leader of great stature and an important player in the process by which the Chinese came to exercise control over Southern China.
Due to a misunderstanding between the Nan Yue people and Chinese people, both groups almost engaged in battle. Mme Xian, being married to Feng Bao, tried her best to resolve their differences. Within months, she succeeded. After reconciling the Nan Yue people and the Chinese, Madam Xian led the people from Hainan Island to become citizens of Emperor Liang. From then on, Hainan people showed their gratitude to her by respecting her as one of the Ancestral Patrons of their people
In 540 CE there was a political upheaval in Hainan because the Li President Liang Wu Di abandoned the island and became isolationist. Mme Xian tried to prevent this by getting both parties to conduct discussions about the future of Hainan. For this purpose, she asked the President to send her to Yazhou as a ruler. The President appointed her governor of Yazhou, and her husband, Feng Bao, took three armies to Hainan and they lived in Liang Sha Po. Mme Xian was a wise leader who was very kind to her constituents. She presided over an era of peace and harmony, while reporting directly to the ruler of the Southern and Northern Dynasty.
In 589 CE, Madam Xian was appointed by the Sui Emperor as General-in-Charge to stop the revolution started by some of the rebellious minor Kingdoms left over from the Nan Bei (Southern & Northern Dynasty) Chaotic Period.
In 590 CE, all rebellious minor Kingdoms were conquered and Madam Xian was bestowed with the title of Jiao Guo Fu Ren (Lady of Jiao Guo).
In 602 CE, Mme Xian died at the age of 90 years, having lived a great and famous life of much value. She was honoured by the Sui Emperor of the time, and later became a figure of worship by the people. There are temples for her in the Dianbai, Maoming and Gaozhou areas as well as in Haikou and Xin Po, Hainan.

Xian Fu Ren's Statue and Temple in Xin Po!
She fought wars & taught farmers how to grow vegetables...

Xin Po is a village that lies about 25-30 km. North-East of Haikou. It is a farming centre that is famous for its vegetables in Hainan. At one end of the village is a temple to honour Xian Fu Ren, and this statue of her is located outside the temple. Some local people told me that, when Mme. Xian was in Hainan, she taught the farmers how to properly cultivate their vegetable crops.
Images of Xian Fu Ren's Festival on Flickr!
The annual "Naojunpo Festival" at Xin Po is held in March...
Xian Fu Ren Water Altar in Front of Temple!
A long-life tortoise features in this altar at Xin Po village...

During the annual Xian Fu Ren Festival, this altar is filled with water from bottles that are purchased from the temple authorities by worshippers of Mme Xian. The water is then splashed over the inscriptions on the plaque as a form of worship and for good luck to the person doing the splashing!

Xian Fu Ren at Hainan Provincial Museum!
What does the museum in Haikou say about Mme Xian?

The official notes to the Hainan Provincial Museum have this to say about Xian Fu Ren:
"Madam Xian (512-602 CE), whose name was Xian Ying, from Gaoliang (Gaozhou County, in what is today Guangdong) lived in the time of the South and North Dynasties (Nanbei). In the last years of the Liang Kingdom, Xian's husband, Feng Baozu, Satrap of Gaoliang, reported a rebellion in Lingnan. Mme Xian took charge of the army, and led them to defeat the rebellion. In 589 CE, the ninth year of the Sui Dynasty, Mme Xian took more than 100,000 people of the Baiyue Clans to submit themselves to the Sui Emperor. She applied to establish the Yazhou State, which brought to an end the disorderly situation in Hainan.
Mme Xian was extraordinarily brave and outstanding. She was dedicated to the service of her country and played an enormous role in unification, safeguarding national unity and economic development for her motherland. She was praised as the "First Heroine in China" by Premier Zhou Enlai. On the sixth of February, every Chinese lunar year, "Naojunpo Festival" is held to commemorate Mme Xian commanding and preparing her army for battle."

Xian Fu Ren Temple in Haikou!
(Haikou Xian Fu Ren Miao)

Nestled in a narrow street found in the old part of Haikou is Mme. Xian's temple (Haikou Xian Fu Ren Miao). Surrounded by advertising hoardings, passers by making use of their ubiquitous mobile telephones and children playing at the entrance, this tiny building is a reminder of the importance of this woman to Hainan's historical and cultural background.
You can visit the temple at:
No 75 De Sheng Sha Road
Haikou
Hainan Province
China
Entry is free and the temple attendants are warm and welcoming to strangers.
Image at Xian Fu Ren Miao in Haikou!
Image adjacent to the altar at Mme. Xian's Haikou Temple!


Xian Fu Ren Books on Amazon!
Xian Fu Ren Statue in Guangdong!


Thoughts, Comments & Queries on Mme Xian!
Would you like to know more about Xian Fu Ren?
Thank's for dropping by! Please leave your thoughts, questions and comments or just say hello. If you appreciate this page, please recommend it to your friends. Also, take a moment to rate it at the top of the page and mark as a favourite if it takes your fancy!

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eccles1
Oct 26, 2010 @ 7:57 pm | delete
- another beautiful lens!!!
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MiaBellezza
Sep 16, 2009 @ 10:14 am | delete
- Fascinating. It occurs to me I know next to nothing about post-modern China. 5*
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clouda9
Aug 13, 2009 @ 12:47 am | delete
- So much history and a beautifully designed lens!
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roysumit
Jul 29, 2009 @ 7:33 am | delete
- Thanks for updating our knowledge about China and its' culture, history and people through your lenses. Another great lens shared by you.
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stargazer00
Jul 27, 2009 @ 1:48 am | delete
- Very interesting.
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by drs2biz
Australian Giant Squid and a Squid Angel. Enjoys photography, museums and dining with friends. more »
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