Chen Hongzhen was born in Tianjin in the 12th year of the

Republic of China calendar The Republic of China calendar, often shortened to the ROC calendar or the ''Minguo'' calendar, is a calendar used in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. The calendar uses 1912, the year of the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC) in ...

(1923) on the 23rd day of the 10th lunar month, November 30 in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

. Her family became rich through business. Her father, Chen Fengming, was the Tianjin Grocery Merchant Association president and was enthusiastic about public welfare. It is said that before Chen Hongzhen was born, her grandmother and mother, Lady Yan, dreamed of

Guanyin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

sending her son to the Chen family ancestral hall. Her parents named her "Hongzhen" because they hoped she would have a bright future under the protection of

Guanyin Bodhisattva Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

. There are two younger brothers and four younger sisters in his family. In 1940, Yiguandao was introduced to Gong Penngling, the disciple of Jingdian Temple in Tianjin Mingde Tan. Later, it was mainly practiced in the Tongxing Tan Taoist temple, founded by Han Yulin. In 1947, he went to Taiwan to preach on the instructions of

Zhang Tianran Zhang Tianran ( zh, t=張天然; 8 August 1889 – 29 September 1947), born Kui Sheng ( zh, t=奎生), was the eighteenth patriarch of the Yiguandao religious sect. He is usually referred to as the ''Father of Yiguandao'', or as ''Shi Zun'' ...

. Half a year later, he returned to Tianjin for treatment due to acclimatization. In 1948, he participated in the "confession class" after Zhang Tianran's death and decided to make a vow of purity (

celibacy Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term ''celibacy'' is applied ...

for life). In August of the same year, he went to Taiwan to preach again with Han Yulin. In 1950, Han Yulin awarded him the position of Bianchi and founded a group of disciples affiliated with the fa group. Chongde Dojo. 1985, the Little Angel Class was established to care for Taoist children. She successfully established five cultural and educational foundations in Taiwan: Chongde, Chongren, Chongyi, Chongli, and Guanghui, as well as a Chongde Charitable Foundation, and promoted filial piety. After her death on January 6, 2008, Yiguandao announced that

Queen Mother of the West The Queen Mother of the West, known by #Names, various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese religion and Chinese mythology, mythology, also worshipped later in neighbouring countries. She is attested from ancient ...

had named her the "Never-resting Bodhisattva". During the farewell ceremony,

Ma Ying-jeou Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, t=馬英九; pinyin: ''Mǎ Yīngjiǔ''; ; born 13 July 1950) is a Taiwanese politician, lawyer, and legal scholar who served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Kuomintang (KMT ...

knelt and kowtowed three times. The then

President of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, also known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. Republic of China (1912– ...

Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...

, also issued a commendation order.

References

{{reflist 1923 births 2008 deaths People from Tianjin