Wang Lun

Who was Wang Lun?

Wang Lun was the leader of the White Lotus sect in Shandong province, China in the 1770s. He preached a millenarial philosophy, emphasizing the imminent coming of the Buddha Maitreya.

A martial arts master and self-taught physician, Wang taught his followers yoga, meditation, and the ability to fast for very long periods by drinking purified water. His group became known as the "Pure Water Sect", and by 1774 numbered several thousand.

Having told the sect that he was the reincarnation of Maitreya and was destined to become Emperor of China, he mobilized his followers and marched on the city of Shouzhang on October 3, 1774. With the help of confederates inside the city gates, the rebels quickly seized the city and ransacked the treasury and granary. They held the city for a few days only, before abandoning it to attack the city of Yangku. Yangku was easily captured, as the local garrison was marching to relieve Shouzhang, which the local authorities believed was still in rebel hands. The rebels then moved on to capture the towns of Tangyi and then Liulin with ease, and from there they marched on to Linqing, a large and strategically important city.