Liu Zhijian

      Abbot of Puti Temple, Dengfeng City, Henan Province

                   ——Venerable Master Shi Yinggang

       Liu Zhijian, male, born on the 25th day of the fifth lunar month in 1961, Han ethnicity, native of Yingxi Village, Yingyang Town, Dengfeng City, Henan Province. After graduating from high school, due to his deep faith in Buddhism, he devoted himself to Buddhist endeavors, traveling extensively to study and learn from masters with great diligence. On September 19, 1985, he went to Baima Temple to receive ordination and was conferred the Triple Platform Great Precepts under the lineage of Master Xiafa, a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. Beginning in 1990, he practiced and studied Buddhism at Puti Temple. In 1997, he tirelessly worked to promote the temple, and in July 2000, Puti Temple was officially approved by the Henan Provincial Government as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. Since then, the temple has thrived with abundant incense offerings, and Venerable Master Shi Yinggang has served as its abbot to this day.

       In June 2013, at the "7th International Public Welfare and Charity Forum" held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, he was awarded the title of "Public Welfare and Charity Star." On August 3, he was appointed Vice President of the Association of China's Famous Temples, Vice President of the Senior Buddhist Medical Master Association of the Chinese Medical Celebrities Promotion Association, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Zen Culture Association, Vice President of the Chinese Era Celebrities Association, and Council Member of the Senior Buddhist Medical Master Association of the Chinese Celebrities Association.

       In August 2013, at the "China Public Welfare and Economic Development Cooperation Summit" held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, he was honored with the title of "Model Ambassador of Public Welfare and Charity," and simultaneously appointed Vice President of the Chinese Filial Piety General Association. In June 2014, he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General at the 5th China Famous Temples and Monasteries Forum on Zen Culture in Beijing, and subsequently served as Vice Chairman and Vice President for the 6th, 7th, and 8th sessions.

       On June 20, 2013, he was received by the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and awarded the honorary title of "International Charity Star."

       In June 2017, he participated in the "First Guiguzi National Learning Wisdom Yunmengshan Forum" and was honored with the title of "Master of National Learning and I Ching." In the same August, he joined as an International Medical Promotion Advisor for Henan Province, traveling to Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai to participate in rescue forums.

       In August 2013, he received the title of "Senior Buddhist Medical Master of the People's Republic of China." In October of the same year, he was awarded the title of "Outstanding Academic Achievements and Prestige in the Field of Traditional Culture" and "Excellent Calligrapher and Painter." He is also the founder of the "Red Paper with Golden Seal" at the National Conference Center of the Great Hall of the People.

       In 2021, he participated in the exhibition of outstanding calligraphers commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai. His calligraphy and painting works are widely displayed across China and overseas, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and South Korea.

       Since embracing Buddhism, I have loved my country and my faith, abided by laws and regulations, and dedicated myself to serving society.

       Legal Name: Liu Zhijian; Secular Name: Liu Ergang; Dharma Name: Shi Degang; Dharma Title: Shi Yinggang

 

       Liu Zhijian's father served under General He Jun, Commander of the 13th Army of Zhu De's headquarters. In 1943, when Zhu De went to study in the Soviet Union, his father joined the Eighth Route Army under General He Jun's command and participated in major battles in North China. He later fought under General Fu Zuoyi in the Zhongtiao Mountain Campaign and was the sole survivor. In 1948, he participated in the Beijing Peace Negotiations alongside Zhou Enlai, Fu Zuoyi, and Zeng Wuhe, successfully facilitating the peaceful liberation of Beijing.

       Liu Zhijian's maternal uncle, Du Zuochen, served as Commander and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Northeast Military Region. In January 1949, his father returned home to care for his elderly mother; his official documentation was issued by the Headquarters of the North China Military Region of the People's Liberation Army.

       Liu Dexuan, male, born on September 1, 1920, resident of Group One, Yingxi Village, Yingyang Town, Dengfeng City, Henan Province. In 1936, he enlisted in the Kuomintang's Third Army as a soldier in the anti-aircraft artillery unit and participated in the Zhongtiao Mountain Campaign against Japanese aggression. In 1942, he became a Second Lieutenant platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion of榴弹炮 (howitzer) in Kunming. In 1949, he was reassigned as a First Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion of榴弹炮 (howitzer) under Fu Zuoyi's 13th Artillery Division. On January 13, 1949, he participated in the peaceful liberation as a Captain company commander and was issued a passport by the Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Military Region.

       Du Suzhen, female, resident of Chengde City, Hebei Province, born on June 28, 1929.

       Brother Du Zuochen, Commander of the North China Military Region, followed Zhu De's headquarters southward in 1943 (joining the Eighth Route Army). After Zhu De traveled to the Soviet Union for study, Du Zuochen became a covert operative, secretly delivering messages for the Eighth Route Army. After liberation in 1949, I returned with my husband and our eldest daughter, Liu Pingying, to our ancestral home in Henan.