Han Shou Altar of Zhaohua

　　    The Han Shou Altar is a newly constructed cultural landmark. It consists of three parts: the inner altar, the outer altar, and the ancient city wall ruins that separate them in the middle. On both sides of the inner altar stand a pair of stone-carved beasts known as “stone exorcising beasts.” In the center of the inner altar is a large engraved stone map depicting the territory of Han Shou (Zhaohua) County during the Three Kingdoms period. Covering an area of 221 square meters, this map carries the symbolic meaning of Liu Bei’s arrival at Jiameng in the year 221 AD. The outer altar features a pair of Han Que gates and two cultural walls. The pair of sculptural stone structures located farthest out are called “Han Que.” These were architectural elements from the Han Dynasty, typically erected outside city gates or the main entrances of building complexes to signify rank and status. Han Que structures consist of a main gate and a subordinate gate, with the taller one being the main gate and the smaller one the subordinate. The beautifully carved patterns on the two cultural walls depict historical stories that took place in Zhaohua during the Three Kingdoms period. They respectively illustrate four historical events: “The Rise of Shu Han in Jiameng,” “Zhang Fei’s Night Battle with Ma Chao,” “Bao Sanniang’s Bloody Battlefield,” and “Jiang Wei’s Troops Besieged at Niutou Mountain.”