Sun Bu’er—one of the original Seven Perfected disciples of Wang Chongyang—set the tone from the start: Quanzhen isn’t an all-boys’ club. Women enter the tradition through full monastic ordination, embracing the same vows of celibacy, poverty and communal life as their male counterparts. After shaving their heads and donning simple gray robes, they move into nunneries that mirror the layout and daily rhythm of male Quanzhen monasteries.

Roles aren’t merely decorative. Abbesses guide internal-alchemy circles (nei-dan), lead morning liturgies, and preside over jiao offerings—rituals that still underpin local communities from Shaanxi to Sichuan. Some become lineage holders, transmitting esoteric practices like the Microcosmic Orbit or the “Thunder Constable” breath methods. Others specialize in divination, herbal medicine or calligraphy, preserving texts that date back almost a millennium.

Modern times have only widened these horizons. Since UNESCO’s 2019 recognition of Taoist inner-alchemical arts, more women have answered the call. In Chongqing and Hangzhou, female Quanzhen masters are organizing online retreats, offering guidance to busy urbanites during lockdowns. A 2022 documentary even captured an abbess leading a full-moon ceremony by lantern light—proof that age-old traditions can spark fresh interest on social media.

Quanzhen’s structure still skews male at the top—patriarchs and abbots remain overwhelmingly men—but abbesses aren’t shy about carving out space. They’ve broken the mold, balancing ritual leadership with community outreach, from running tea-house clinics to teaching tai chi in local parks. In a tradition built on harmony with nature and inner balance, these women stand as living proof that wisdom and spiritual power know no gender.