The Wo Le Shoujian 斡勒守坚

Wo Le Shoujian was a native of Gaizhou in Shangjing (now Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province) during the Jin and Yuan dynasties.

During the Dading era (1161–1190) of the Jin Dynasty, her father served as the Jiedushi (military governor) of Gaizhou. From a young age, Shoujian admired the profound aura of Taoism and often chanted the Buxu verses (sacred hymns sung during Taoist rituals to mimic the voices of immortals) alone—this unusual behavior surprised everyone around her.

She later met Master Jiagu, a female Taoist official at Daqing Taoist Temple, and became her disciple at the age of 15. In the seventh year of the Mingchang era (1196), she passed the Taoist scripture examination, was granted a purple robe (a symbol of high status in Taoism), and was formally ordained as a female Taoist official.

After Qiu Chuji (a renowned Quanzhen Taoist master) returned to Yanjing (the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, present-day Beijing), Shoujian began studying under him. Later, she propagated Taoist teachings in the Yanbei and Xuande regions. The Taifu Xianggong (a senior imperial official holding the title of "Grand Tutor") founded Qingyun Taoist Temple and appointed Shoujian as its abbot. During her tenure, she ordained more than ten female Taoist officials, including Zhang Jingchun.

In the tenth year of the Yuan Taizong era (1238), the Taifu Xianggong launched a military campaign in the Qin and Shu regions (present-day Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces) and pacified the Guanzhong area (the central Shaanxi plain). He then invited Shoujian to move to Chang’an (an ancient capital, present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi Province), where she resided in the ancient Zhenwu Temple—this temple was soon renamed Longyang Taoist Temple.

In the thirteenth year of the Yuan Taizong era (1241), the Great Patriarch Qinghe (a top leader of the Quanzhen School) appointed Shoujian as the abbot of Yansheng Taoist Temple (founded by Princess Tang Yuzhen of the Tang Dynasty) on Zhongnan Mountain. She was also entrusted with overseeing the ritual practices and spiritual cultivation of female Taoist officials in Shaanxi, and was bestowed the title "Real Person Yuzhen Qingmiao" (meaning "the pure and wonderful real person of Yuzhen").

Wo Le Shoujian passed away in the first year of the Yuan Xianzong era (1251) at the age of 70. Details of her life can be found in The Life Story of Real Person Yuzhen Qingmiao from Longyang Taoist Temple.