Xinxiang Guan Di Temple

Xinxiang Guan Di Temple

Xinxiang Guan Di Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Xinxiang City.

The Guan Di Temple was built during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1341–1368) and was subsequently renovated during the Wanli and Chongzhen eras of the Ming Dynasty, as well as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty.

In the early years of the Republic of China, Guan Yu and Yue Fei were jointly enshrined here, and the temple became also known as the "Guan Yue Shrine." The temple faces south and currently has three preserved buildings: the dance stage, the worship hall, and the main hall, totaling 13 rooms. It covers an area of 2,000 square meters. The dance stage is three bays wide (10.8 meters) and 7 meters deep, featuring a double-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with gray small clay tiles and blue glazed tiles. The worship hall is five bays wide (15 meters) and 6.6 meters deep, with a suspended gable and roll-roofed front, covered with gray tubular and flat tiles. The main hall is also five bays wide (15 meters) and 7.5 meters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with green glazed tiles.

Most of the wooden components of the temple still retain the architectural style of the Yuan Dynasty. The three main buildings have largely preserved their original appearance, making this the oldest existing group of ancient buildings in Xinxiang City.

Location: North side of West Section, Dadong Street, Hongqi District, Xinxiang City

Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit of Xinxiang City.

Guan Yu (162?–220), of Han ethnicity, was born during the Yanxi era of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His courtesy name was Yunchang, originally Changsheng, and he was a native of Xie County, Hedong (present-day Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province). He was a renowned general of the Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, serving as General of the Vanguard and Marquis of Hanshou, as well as a military strategist. After his death, he was widely revered by the people and honored by successive dynasties, eventually being worshipped as the God of War Guan Sheng Di Jun. In Buddhism, he is referred to as the Sangharama Bodhisattva, and respectfully called "Lord Guan." Later rulers revered him as the "Martial Saint," equal in status to Confucius, the "Civil Saint."

Following Liu Bei

Guan Yu's original courtesy name was Changsheng, which he later changed to Yunchang. In his early years, he fled his hometown to You... More details about Guan Yu++