Peng Yingyu

Peng Yingyu (died 1353), called the Monk Peng, was a Yuan rebel preacher from Yuanzhou, Jiangxi, founder of the southern Red Turbans. A monk at Cihua Temple, he took up Maitreya worship and wandered healing the poor as he preached.

In 1338 he and his disciple Zhou Ziwang raised more than five thousand followers, writing Buddha on their backs in the belief that it would protect them from weapons. He made Zhou a king, but the rising failed and Zhou was killed; Peng fled to Huaixi and continued preaching.

In August 1351 he joined Zou Pusheng and cloth peddler Xu Shouhui in the Qizhou rising, enthroning Xu as Tianwan emperor. He died fighting the Yuan when Qishui fell in 1353.