Tushan Guan Yu Temple

Tushan Guan Yu Temple

Tushan Guan Yu Temple is located on the old street of Tushan Town, Pizhou. It is a temple dedicated to Guan Yu, the famous general from the Three Kingdoms period. Initially built in the third year of the TianShun era during the Ming Dynasty (1460 AD), it underwent four major renovations during the Chongzhen, Yongzheng, Daoguang eras, and the Republican period. But each time, due to limited funding, only the main structures running from front to back were restored, while the side buildings gradually collapsed over time and were eventually turned into residential houses.

The entire temple complex covers an area of 22 mu, with three routes and four courtyards. At the time, it was the second largest Guan Yu Temple in China and the largest in Jiangsu Province, often referred to as “Confucius, the Sage of Letters, in the north, and Guan Yu, the Sage of Martial Valor, in the south.” It gained international fame due to Chapter 25 of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” where “Guan Yu Makes Three Vows at Tushan.” Because Guan Yu was besieged here, his reputation for “loyalty” and “righteousness” was solidified, giving this Guan Yu Temple special significance.

The temple follows a three-route, four-courtyard architectural layout, with the central axis as the main structure and symmetrical side buildings as auxiliary. There are over a hundred temple rooms, including a bell tower, drum tower, Horse Hoof Pavilion, as well as historical relics such as Guan Yu’s former whetstone, horse tethering post, horse hoof prints, and the kneeling imprint of Zhang Liao. The couplet in front of the gate reads: “Confucians call him a sage, Buddhists call him a Buddha, Taoists call him the Heavenly Worthy; the Han honored him as marquis, the Song as king, and the Ming as emperor.” This reflects Guan Yu’s lofty status and immense influence in Chinese history and culture. Guan Yu is no longer just a name or a person—he has become a spirit, a culture. Although the temple suffered damage during wartime, its main structures were preserved from the pre-liberation era until the end of the last century because the site served as Tushan Central Primary School.

The architecture of Tushan Guan Yu Temple features distinct local characteristics. The temple is a fusion of regional residential and official-style architecture, all with three bays and straight-sloped roofs. The main buildings boast impressive tubular tile roofs and dragon ridge ornaments. Rooms with greater depth use raised-beam construction, such as the existing front hall of the second courtyard, the Scripture Chanting Hall, the Monks’ Gathering Hall, and the rear hall of the third courtyard. The rest of the buildings use interlocking beam frames with flower-patterned main ridges and vertical gable ridges. These designs incorporate both the architectural features of the Xuzhou region and the local craftsmanship of Pizhou’s rural areas, especially the elegant designs of the pressure strips and gable ridge heads.

Three halls have been preserved. To the north is an ancient-style opera stage, below which is the main passageway leading to the middle courtyard. On the east and west sides of the middle courtyard were the East Viewing Opera Stage and West Viewing Opera Stage, respectively, about thirty meters apart. In front lies a long flight of high bluestone steps. In the past, during the annual Guan Yu Temple Festival on the 13th day of the ninth lunar month, operas were performed here for three consecutive days. The wealthy and influential sat in the viewing stands to enjoy the performances, while commoners watched from the stone steps.

After the liberation, multiple restorations were carried out to preserve this ancient architectural complex. In 2006, the Pizhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government fully restored the site on its original 23-mu foundation, returning it to its former glory. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province, serving as a unique Three Kingdoms culture-themed tourist destination and a base for patriotic education in Pizhou.

Tushan Guan Yu Temple is the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex in Jiangsu Province and is currently a key protected historical relic site in the province.

Tushan Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Pizhou City. It is a commodity grain production base and a source of fresh and dried fruits in Jiangsu Province. In the early years of the Republic of China, it was known as Tushan City. In 1953, it belonged to the 12th District; in 1957, Tushan Town was established; in 1958, it was restructured as a commune; in 1983, it became a township; and in 1987, it was re-established as a town. Located in the southern part of the city, it is 15 kilometers from the urban area. Covering an area of 19.3 square kilometers with a population of 18,000, it is traversed by the Pisi Highway running from north to south and the Fangting River flowing through the territory. It administers nine village committees: Wei Yuan, Dong Men, Jie Nan, Jie Bei, Wu Zhuang, Zhang Song, Bao Zhuang, Huang Shan, and Shan Xi. The local agriculture mainly focuses on farming and animal husbandry, and its Dian Cai Tai Gan (a type of dried vegetable) is famous throughout the country... More details about Tushan Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units