Xin Guan Di Miao

　　In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when river transport flourished, merchants from Shanxi flocked to Taierzhuang to set up shops. To connect with fellow provincials and leverage their commercial strength, in the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing dynasty (1735), they pooled funds to build the Shanxi Guild Hall, enshrining the spirit tablet of Guan Yu, the sage of Shanxi — effectively a temple dedicated to Lord Guan. Since there was already a Guan Di Miao (Temple of Lord Guan) in Taierzhuang, this one came to be known as the Xin Guan Di Miao (New Temple of Lord Guan).

　　When first built, the Xin Guan Di Miao covered an area of 30 mu, with over 100 halls, towers, and meditation rooms. Major structures included the Chunqiu Tower and the Guan Yu Hall, spanning a total construction area of nearly 6,000 square meters. The five-bay Chunqiu Tower stood about 15 meters tall, built with blue bricks, white joints, and glazed tiles, featuring majestic upturned eaves. A huge portrait titled “The Second Lord Observing the Spring and Autumn Annals” hung on the upper floor of the Xin Guan Di Miao. The three-bay Guan Yu Hall had blue brick cylindrical tiles and a roof ridge adorned with small animal ornaments and modest upturned eaves. Inside the hall, the statue of Guan Yu held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, whose blade measured 1.3 meters long and whose handle was made of high-quality bronze. In front of the statue was a large tin square table, on which sat a half-meter-diameter tin incense burner that emitted constant clouds of fragrant smoke.

　　Thereafter, Shanxi merchants continuously maintained and renovated the Xin Guan Di Miao. In the 30th and 50th years of the Qianlong reign during the Qing dynasty, two major renovation projects successively added the ceremonial gate, side halls, theater stage, gateway, and dozens of auxiliary rooms, along with a large screen wall over 10 meters high topped with animal ornaments. The painted beams and carved pillars created a spectacular sight. The front of the screen wall of the Xin Guan Di Miao was inlaid with a couplet reading: “Boundless benevolence and wisdom, a noble spirit filling heaven and earth; divine civil and martial virtues, a heroic legacy unmatched through the ages.” Grand temple fairs were held at the Xin Guan Di Miao annually on the third and thirteenth days of the fifth lunar month, the days of Guan Yu’s knife-sharpening ritual. Devotees flocked to the temple, performers showcased their arts, and the area inside and outside the temple hall bustled with lively activity.

　　

　　Guan Yu (162~220)　　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). 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 revered by the people and honored by successive imperial courts, eventually being worshipped as the Divine Lord Guan, referred to as Sangharama Bodhisattva in Buddhism, and respectfully called “Lord Guan.” Later rulers revered Guan Yu as the “Martial Saint,” placing him on par with Confucius, the “Civil Saint.” Following Liu Bei Originally named Changsheng, Guan Yu later changed his courtesy name to Yunchang. In his early years, after being involved in some trouble, he fled his hometown to Zhuojun in Youzhou (present-day Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province). In the first year of the Zhongping era... Details+