December 24, the 24th day of the 11th lunar month, marks the birth anniversary of Lady Xian. On this day, commemorative events were held in her hometown in Maoming's Binhai New Area and Dianbai District to honor her legacy and further promote Lady Xian's cultural heritage.
Lady Xian, born during the Southern and Northern Dynasties in ancient Gaoliang (modern-day Maoming), was a renowned leader of the Li ethnic group in Lingnan. She served under the Liang, Chen, and Sui dynasties, dedicating her life to national unity and ethnic harmony. Her remarkable achievements are extensively documented in historical records such as the Book of Sui, Zizhi Tongjian, and Book of the Northern Dynasties. Late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai praised her as "China's first heroine."
For centuries, people have revered Lady Xian, building temples and shrines in her honor and performing traditional music and dances as part of ritual ceremonies. According to preliminary statistics, there are over 2,000 Lady Xian temples worldwide, primarily in western Guangdong, Hainan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Author: Zou Xiangliang
Photo: Feng Jieyun, Zou Xiangliang
Editor: Wei Shen, Huang Qini, James, Shen He
