Liangqing (monk) (original) (raw)

Liangqing (良卿法师) was a Chinese Buddhist monk and abbot of Famen Temple (Chinese: 法门寺; pinyin: Fǎmén Sì). At the beginning of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1966, a campaign was introduced to destroy the Four Olds. As Buddhist sites and temples were widely targeted during this campaign, Liangqing's Famen Temple was a major target for destruction. Hundreds of Red Guards were sent to destroy the Famen Temple. Due to this imposing threat, Liangqing, the temple's Abbot, chose an act of self-immolation to protect the temple and contents from destruction. Although the contents of the temple were all smashed by the Red Guard, Liangqing's self-sacrifice was successful as the temple's and its relic of the Buddha were both saved from destruction.