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Introduction-Islamic Presence Strong in Quanzhou
This stone carving of a white elephant offering flowers to a Shiva lingam is taken from an old Hindu tale.

Of all religions practised in Quanzhou in those days, Manicheism is one of the most interesting. At the foot of Wanshi Peak to the southwest of Quanzhou there is a strange temple, in which an eerie-looking idol with long hair is worshipped. People believe it to be the Goddess of Mercy, however, it is quite different from the usual image of the goddess. Local people call the temple Cao'an (Thatched Nunnery). In fact, the idol is a statue of a Manicheist deity.
Manicheism was founded by an Iranian named Mani (or Manichaeus) during the third century.

 
This carving of a lion and a cobra was found among the ruins of an Indian temple.
Mani taught that everything in the universe springs from the two principles of light and dark, or good and evil. Combining elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Nestorianism, his religion became known in China as the "Religion of Light". It was introduced into China and grew popular in the late seventh century during the Tang Dynasty. 		 
Found on a Nestorian tombstone, this carving shows a pair of angels holding lotus flowers and a cross, combining Persian, Greek and Chinese mythology.
Several hundred years later the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu (r. 1368-1398), issued a decree banning the Religion of Light, because the word for "light" in Chinese is pronounced "ming", which happened to be the name of the Ming Dynasty and therefore was not allowed to be used by anyone but the emperor. From that time forward Manicheism died out in China and never returned. Cao'an Nunnery is the only reminder of Manicheism in China left today.





  
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