Hongtong Guan Yu Temple

Hongtong Guan Yu Temple

Hongtong Guan Yu Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Hongtong Guan Yu Temple is located on Guandi Street in the city center of Dahuaishu Town, Hongtong County. Facing south, it covers an area of 2,072 square meters. According to the revised 1882 edition of the Hongtong County Annals from the Qing Dynasty, the temple was originally situated north of Hengdefang Street and was rebuilt in 1306 during the Yuan Dynasty by local resident Su Hanchen. In 1351 during the Ming Dynasty, the Guan Yu Tower was built; in 1645 during the Qing Dynasty, a theater stage was added; in 1710, further expansions were made. Through multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it eventually reached its current architectural scale. The existing main hall retains structures from the Yuan Dynasty, the offering hall dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and the rest of the buildings are from the Qing Dynasty.

The central axis of Hongtong Guan Yu Temple extends from south to north, successively featuring the Guan Yu Tower, theater stage, offering hall, and main hall. On both sides are east and west corridors as well as bell and drum towers. The Guan Yu Tower, also known as the Spring and Autumn Tower, is a through-style street-crossing tower. The bell and drum towers are located on the east and west sides of the theater stage, standing approximately 13 meters tall with a cross-shaped hip-and-gable roof and two stories. The theater stage faces north, featuring a width of three bays and a depth of three bays, with a rolled shed-style roof. The offering hall has a width and depth of three bays each, with a single-eave rolled shed-style gable-and-hip roof. The main hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, topped with glazed tiles in a hip-and-gable roof style, with the upper ends of the double columns at the four corners curving inward.

Hongtong Guan Yu Temple is a relatively well-preserved ancient architectural complex from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, holding significant historical value.

In May 2013, Hongtong Guan Yu Temple was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

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 Xieliang in Hedong (present-day Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province). A renowned general of the Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, he held the rank of General of the Vanguard and was titled Marquis of Hanshou. He was also a military strategist. After his death, he was widely venerated by the people and honored by successive imperial courts, eventually being worshipped as the Divine Lord Guan. In Buddhism, he is referred to as the Sangharama Bodhisattva and respectfully called “Guan Gong.” Later rulers revered Guan Yu as the “Martial Saint,” equating him with Confucius, the “Literary Saint.”

Following Liu Bei

Guan Yu’s original courtesy name was Changsheng, later changed to Yunchang. In his early years, due to some trouble, he fled his hometown and went to You... More detailed information about Guan Yu++

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units