Qishan Wuhou Shrine

　　Qishan is the name of a mountain range,

　　stretching from Yanguan in the east to Dabaozi Mountain in the west, lying north of the West Han River, extending for 25 kilometers. It sits at the strategic throat between Shu and Long, controlling the key points for offense and defense, serving as a natural barrier for the ancient Qishan battlefield during the Three Kingdoms period and a fiercely contested area between Wei and Shu. The famous story of Zhuge Liang, the eminent politician and military strategist of the Three Kingdoms, "marching six times to Qishan," became widely known after the TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" aired, which also greatly boosted the fame of the Qishan Wuhou Shrine.

　　In March of the fifth year of Jianxing (227 AD), after Zhuge Liang submitted the “Memorial on the Expedition” to Emperor Liu Shan in Chengdu, he entered Hanzhong and set up a temporary prime minister’s office. In April of the sixth year of Jianxing (228 AD), during his first expedition to Qishan, Zhuge Liang suffered a defeat at the Battle of Jieting and tearfully executed Ma Su. That winter, on his second campaign, he laid siege to Chen Cang but retreated due to insufficient supplies. In the seventh year of Jianxing (229 AD), during his third campaign, Shu general Chen Shi captured Wudu and Yinping, while Zhuge Liang reached Jianwei City (now within Xihe County). In the eighth year of Jianxing (230 AD), his fourth campaign saw Wei Yan venture west into the Qiang and Di regions of Tianshui and southern Longnan, where he decisively defeated Wei general Guo Huai. In the ninth year of Jianxing (231 AD), during his fifth campaign, he broke through Shangbang, but Li Yan falsely reported a lack of military provisions, leading Zhuge Liang to withdraw his troops. In the twelfth year of Jianxing (234 AD), during his sixth campaign, 100,000 Shu troops burst out of the Xie Valley and camped at Wuzhang Plains. In August, Zhuge Liang passed away in camp. In fact, Zhuge Liang only reached Qishan twice—during the sixth and ninth years of Jianxing. There were also two campaigns that approached Qishan and two that did not reach it. “Six Expeditions to Qishan” refers to the overall strategic northern campaigns of Zhuge Liang’s later years and also symbolizes his unyielding spirit and devotion to the very end.

　　Qishan Fort is located in the central part of Qishan, on the riverside flats of the north bank of the West Han River. It is an isolated peak built on a stone foundation and filled with earth, unattached on all sides, resembling a turtle or a ship. The Wuhou Shrine was built atop it. Legend has it that at the beginning of the Jin Dynasty, a Wuhou Shrine was already established on the fort. People worshipped here in all seasons, and it was bustling with activity. Over a thousand years later, the surviving Wuhou Shrine is now one of the five major Wuhou Shrines in China.

　　Upon reaching the foot of the fort, one suddenly sees a solitary peak rising abruptly, sheer on all sides, dozens of zhang tall, like a lone boat in the vast ocean or a hill on an endless plain. Entering through the fort gate and climbing up the path step by step, not far along there are exhibition rooms and a Temple of the Earth God built on both sides of the road. The exhibition rooms display calligraphy and paintings by notable figures, as well as photos of domestic and international dignitaries who have visited the Wuhou Shrine. Ascending to the top of the fort, the first thing that catches the eye is the plaque inscribed with “Wuhou Shrine,” written by Guguihui, a master of calligraphy from Long–France, and hung above the main gate. The inscriptions of the “Former” and “Latter Memorial on the Expedition” are embedded on the walls on both sides of the gate. Reading these inscriptions, one vividly envisions Zhuge Liang’s great image—never forgetting the grace of the late emperor, toiling day and night, and dedicating himself entirely to restoring the Shu Han. “Three parts of the realm stabilized, clarity and principle revealed; two memorial expeditions launched, for the sake of the orphaned sovereign”—this is a true depiction of him.

　　Entering the courtyard, there are the Kongming Hall, the Guan Yu Hall, and the Qifo Hall, arranged in three successive courtyards, originally built in the Jin and continued through the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The statue of Zhuge Liang, molded during the Daoguang era, sits inside the grand hall holding a feather fan, with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, lifelike. During the Cultural Revolution, because the temple was converted into a granary, piled high with grain, the statue of Zhuge Liang was not damaged. On both sides of the front courtyard are corridors featuring civil and military officials from the time of the Qishan expeditions. The ancient shrine is adorned with numerous inscribed tablets, over 30 plaques, 5 pairs of couplets, and more than 20 stone inscriptions. Among them, the inscription “Climbing Qishan to Visit the Wuhou Shrine” by Zheng Guoshi, an imperial censor of Zhejiang Circuit in the 42nd year of the Wanli era (1567 AD), and the cursive script tablet “Gazing Afar at Qishan” by Wang Huannan in the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, quoting his teacher’s poem, are highly admired by visitors.

　　Standing atop the fort and looking around, the vast ancient battlefield unfolds before your eyes. To the northeast are Tianshui Pass, Lucheng Salt Well Shrine, Mumen Pass, and Jiugu Pile Serpent Formation; to the south of the fort are the “Horse Penning Gully” and “Hidden Troops Bay,” where ambush troops were once concealed. Legend says there used to be an ancient cave on the fort, leading straight to the banks of the West Han River—it was the ancient water-drawing route for Shu troops, and Zhuge Liang also used this tunnel when patrolling the camps. In the middle of the West Han River lies a huge rock, said to be Zhuge Liang’s mounting stone. Visiting the shrine of this hero makes one feel as though placed on the ancient battlefield of the Tripartite Confrontation—an exciting, mysterious, boundless, and distant experience.

　　Zhuge Liang (181~234)　　Zhuge Liang (July 23, 181 – August 28, 234), courtesy name Kongming, also known as Wolong (or Fulong), of Han ethnicity, was born in Yangdu, Langya (present-day Yinan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province). He served as the chancellor of Shu Han and was an outstanding politician, strategist, inventor, and military leader during the Three Kingdoms period. During his lifetime, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wuxiang and posthumously titled Marquis Zhongwu. The later Eastern Jin regime, in admiration of Zhuge Liang’s military prowess, additionally posthumously honored him as King Wuxing. His representative works include the “Former Memorial on the Expedition,” the “Latter Memorial on the Expedition,” and “Admonitions to My Son.” He invented mechanical devices such as the wooden ox and flowing horse, as well as the Kongming lantern. Chengdu has a Wuhou Shrine dedicated to him. Additionally, the great poet Du Fu left behind the famous poem “The Chancellor of Shu.” Zhuge... Details+