Wufeng Guan Di Temple

Wufeng Guan Di Temple

Wufeng Guan Di Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Built during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century, the Guan Sheng Palace in Wufeng Town, Jintang County—one of Chengdu’s five major ancient towns—has a history of about 300 years. To this day, its structures and carvings remain largely intact. According to Ji Fu Zheng, an expert on ancient architecture from Southwest Jiaotong University, this is currently the best-preserved Guan Di Temple in the Chengdu area, and even across Sichuan, making it of significant cultural heritage value.

The appeal of Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace for countless scholars, experts, and visitors lies not only in its cultural heritage value but also in the many unsolved mysteries surrounding it.

The first mystery: Who exactly built Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace?

Guan Sheng Di, or Guan Yu, was a native of Xihe, Hedong (in present-day Shanxi), from the Three Kingdoms period, with the courtesy name Yunchang. He formed a brotherly bond with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. When Liu Bei raised his army, Guan Yu was appointed as a separate division Sima (military officer). In the fifth year of the Jian’an era, he was captured by Cao Cao, who admired his talent and appointed him as a Major General. For his achievement in slaying Yan Liang, he was granted the title of Marquis of Hanshou Ting. However, he soon left Cao Cao to return to Liu Bei. After Liu Bei gained control over the southern commanderies, he appointed Guan Yu as the Prefect of Xiangyang and supervisor of Jingzhou affairs. In the 24th year of Jian’an, Guan Yu was promoted to General of the Vanguard, laying siege to Cao Ren at Fancheng and becoming a formidable presence. Sun Quan, using Lu Meng’s strategy, attacked and captured Jingzhou, killing Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping. After Guan Yu’s death, he was posthumously honored as Marquis Zhuang Miao by Emperor Jing of Shu in the third year of the Jingyao era. Later, Emperor Huizong of Song first granted him the title of Duke Zhonghui, then Emperor Da of Song added the title of Martial King of Wu’an in the second year of Daguan. Emperor Wenzong of Yuan further honored him as the Manifest-Spirit, Valiant, and Heroic King Yingji, and during the Hongwu era, his original marquis title was restored, though his status among various deities was not particularly high. It wasn’t until the 22nd year of the Wanli era that, upon the request of the Taoist priest Zhang Tongyuan, he was elevated to the rank of Emperor, with the temple renamed Yinglie. In the 42nd year of Wanli, he was further conferred the title “Great Emperor Guan Sheng Di, Lord of Divine Might Who Subdues Demons Across the Three Realms and Pacifies the Heavens,” and from then on, he has been commonly referred to as Guan Di. In the ninth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, he was conferred the title “Loyal, Righteous, Divine, and Martial Guan Sheng Great Emperor,” and on the 13th day of the fifth month each year, the Ministry of Rites would send offerings, with Guan Di temples established throughout China, except the capital. Guan Sheng Palaces in many places are also called Wu Sheng Palaces and were typically guildhalls for people from Shaanxi. The Jintang County Annals also state that Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace was built by people from Shaanxi.

However, Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace is quite unique—the couplet on its main gate stone pillars reads: “The deity rules over all nations and states; the worshippers come from the Three Xiangs and Seven Marshes” (the Three Xiangs refer to Xiaoxiang, Zhengxiang, and Zixiang; the Seven Marshes are ancient lakes in the Chu region, the most famous being the Yunmeng Marsh, now known as Dongting Lake). The Three Xiangs and Seven Marshes refer to the Huguang Province during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The plaque of a couplet in the main hall is inscribed with “Written by disciples from the Chu Province,” and there is also a stone tablet inside the hall commemorating the “Yu Wang Hui” (Yu the Great Assembly). Therefore, it is suspected that Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace was built by people from Huguang and is a Huguang guildhall, rather than one for people from Shaanxi.

The second mystery: Are the couplets cast iron or stone carvings?

There are three couplets on the stone pillars of the main hall of Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace. The first couplet is in relief (yangwen style); not only are the characters archaic and not fully deciphered to this day, but they also do not resemble typical stone carvings. The strokes vary in thickness and appear more like cast iron inlaid into the stone pillars. The top part resembles hooks, while the bottom has a square hole with an iron nail fixed inside. The second couplet is in intaglio (yinwen style), with the inscription “Divine and Sacred Martial Literati Emit Noble Spirit; Sovereign and Ministers, Brothers Follow Heavenly Truth.” The characters resemble stone carving, yet this couplet also features hooks at the top and a square hole with an iron nail at the bottom.

What is the content of the first couplet? What materials were used to make these two couplets? If they are made of cast iron, how were they embedded so seamlessly? These questions remain unresolved.

The third mystery: How big is Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace, really?

Located on Yufeng Street and facing south, Wufeng Guan Sheng Palace is a quadrangle-style, square-layout wooden structure with two floors. At the northern end is the main hall, where Guan Sheng Di is enshrined; at the southern end, in the center, is the stage, beneath which lies the main gate passage. The east and west sides feature two-story wing rooms. It is said that there used to be a memorial archway outside the main gate. Now the archway is gone, and after climbing 42 stone steps from Yufeng Street, you enter the main gate. The entire building sits atop a height. So, how big is it? According to documents from the Wufeng Town government, it covers an area of about 6,000 square meters, with a construction area of about 3,000 square meters. Records from the town’s housing management office state it covers over 2,100 square meters, with a construction area of over 1,800 square meters. Folklore says Guan Di often revealed himself and that the temple was very large—no one can say for sure, though such claims are naturally unverifiable. Even so, even based on the housing office’s data, calling it the largest existing Guan Di Temple in the Chengdu area would not be an overstatement.