Guan Di Ancestral Temple

　　The ancestral temple of Guan Yu, also known as the Guan Di Ancestral Temple, is located in Changping Village, Changping Township, about 20 kilometers southwest of Yuncheng City. It lies to the south of the Zhongtiao Mountain range and to the north of the Salt Lake. The temple still retains its clay sculptures, the architectural complex is well-preserved, and it enjoys convenient transportation, making it an ideal destination for visitors.

　　Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang, was originally from Changping Li, Jieyang, Hedong during the Three Kingdoms period. Legend has it that after he killed a local tyrant named Lü Xiong, he went into hiding. The tyrant and the authorities colluded to capture Guan Yu and sought to execute his entire family. At that time, many people surnamed Guan from Changping Li fled to the area now known as Gucun to seek refuge, but Yunchang’s elderly parents, unable to escape due to their age, committed suicide by jumping into a well. To commemorate them, later generations built a pagoda over the well. After Guan Yu’s death, the locals, in admiration of his virtues, erected a temple in his honor. By the Jin Dynasty, a formal temple complex was established and named “Guan Sheng Family Temple.”

　　Historical records indicate that the temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty and became a formal temple complex in the Jin Dynasty. Over the dynasties, as Guan Yu was posthumously honored with increasing titles, the temple was renovated or expanded accordingly. Since the 34th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1555), there have been as many as 16 rounds of repairs or expansions to the Guan Sheng Family Temple. Therefore, most of the existing structures date back to the Qing Dynasty. The temple complex spans over 60,000 square meters, boasts a grand scale and a rigorously arranged layout, and is constructed with brick, wood, and glazed tiles. The site features majestic halls, towering ancient cypresses, and a highly imposing atmosphere. In front of the temple are three archways: the central one is carved from stone, while the left and right ones are wooden structures—the left is named “Xiuyu Tiaoshan” Archway and the right “Lingzhong Cuohai” Archway. On both sides are bell and drum towers, with iron statues of ancient figures leading lions in front of the stone arch pillars. Along the central axis of the temple, from front to back, there are six main halls: the Mountain Gate, Wu Gate, Enjoyment Hall, Guan Di Hall, Goddess Hall, and Sacred Ancestor Hall. These are flanked by side rooms, auxiliary halls, and corridors, all arranged in a clear hierarchy. The overall layout follows the traditional “front court, rear palace” structure. The Guan Di Hall is five bays wide, surrounded by corridors, with a double-eave, nine-ridged roof. In front of the hall, ancient cypresses stand majestically on either side. Inside, the wooden carved shrine is richly decorated, with Guan Yu wearing an imperial crown and robes, sitting solemnly on a dragon throne. Four attendants stand inside and outside the shrine, humble and respectful. In front of the Goddess Hall is a hanging floral gate, with auxiliary halls on both sides forming a separate courtyard. The hall itself is five bays wide and deep, with a front corridor, and contains a shrine where Lady Guan is seated in ceremonial attire. Attendants holding handkerchiefs or ceremonial tablets stand respectfully beside her. The statues are proportionate and lifelike, representing some of the finest Qing Dynasty clay sculptures. The Sacred Ancestor Hall, located at the very rear of the temple complex, has five bays and houses statues of Guan Yu’s earliest ancestors—Zhongjian Gong, Zaixian Gong, Yuchang Gong, and Chengzhong Gong—as well as their wives. This is unique among Guan Yu temples. The Chongning Hall enshrines a statue of Guan Yu, with auxiliary halls featuring statues of Guan Ping and Guan Xing. Within the Guan Di Family Temple, there is also an eight-story, octagonal brick pagoda, said to be the tomb of Guan Yu’s parents. To the south of the temple are lush ancient cypresses and numerous stone stelae, marking Guan Yu’s ancestral burial ground. While the temple has many statues, the most exquisite and lifelike is the polychrome clay sculpture of Lady Guan from the Qing Dynasty, regarded as a masterpiece of Qing sculpture art. Additionally, in the southeast corner of the Wu Gate stands an octagonal, seven-story brick and stone pagoda built in the 17th year of the Dading reign of the Jin Dynasty (1177), believed to commemorate Guan Yu’s parents. It is said that beneath the pagoda was once a well. After Guan Yu angrily killed a local tyrant and fled to Zhuojun, the authorities pursued his family relentlessly. The Guan clan fled in haste, and Guan Yu’s parents committed suicide in the well. In their memory, the pagoda was erected. To the south of the temple, in Shipangou, lies the Guan family ancestral burial ground, with numerous stone tablets and ancient cypresses, as well as historic structures such as offering pavilions and altars built through the dynasties. Currently, the Changping Guan Di Temple houses 22 stone stelae, including one from the Jin Dynasty, seven from the Ming Dynasty, 13 from the Qing Dynasty, and one from the Republican era. Some inscriptions recount legends about Guan Yu and serve as valuable resources for studying the history of the Three Kingdoms. Moreover, the Guan Sheng Family Temple is surrounded by tall, vigorous ancient cypresses and pines full of vitality. Many trees have unusual shapes and noble bearing, exuding a spiritual aura and legendary charm rarely seen in ordinary old trees. They turn the Guan Sheng Family Temple into a “Garden of Exotic Trees.” Among the most famous are the Five Generations Under One Roof Mulberry Tree, Snow-Melting Cypress, Twisted Cypress, Split Cypress, and the Dragon-Tiger Cypress. The first has five exposed roots reaching skyward and five thick branches, producing mulberries and apricots that ripen five times a year. Legend says it serves as an offering to Guan Yu’s five generations of descendants. The ancient mulberry tree in front of the Goddess Hall is said to have been honored as the “Tree King of the Temple” by Emperor Liu Xiu. Though not everyone believes this, how else could it have secured such a prominent place among the pine and cypress groves of the Guan Sheng Family Temple? The second is a snow-free cypress, also called the Cloud Cypress, located northwest of the Goddess Hall. Its dense leaves resemble clusters of clouds. Its trunk leans at a 45-degree angle, pointing toward the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou, over ten kilometers away. Legend says that every morning, Guan Yu would ride the clouds from the family temple to the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou via this tree to “go to work,” then return to the family temple by nightfall. In winter, while snow covers the other trees, it melts instantly on this cloud cypress, earning it the nicknames “Hot Cypress” and “Snow-Melting Cypress.” The third is a cypress that couldn’t stand seeing the mulberry tree, honored as the “Tree King,” being so arrogant. Feeling resentful, it twisted its trunk to avoid looking at the proud Five Generations Under One Roof Mulberry. Over centuries, it gradually twisted into its current shape. The fourth is the Split Cypress, also called the Phoenix Cypress, whose shape resembles a phoenix with a long tail. Its trunk is thick and straight, but a wealthy man once wanted to buy it to make a coffin. As soon as he cut one branch, red blood oozed from the wound, followed by a loud crack as the tree split. The man abandoned his plan and left. Hence the name “Split Cypress.” The fifth is the Dragon Cypress, one of the most revered ancient trees by locals. Its mighty trunk reaches skyward like a dragon’s head. Locals often bring their sons, tie a red string around the Dragon Cypress, and cut off a small piece to make a necklace for their child—a ritual known as “recognizing a godfather.” The sixth is the Tiger Cypress, located opposite the Dragon Cypress, named for a large “tiger head” growth on its trunk. Sturdy and imposing, it is considered the “alpha male” among the temple trees. Locals wrap red strings around it to “recognize a godfather” for their daughters, believing the “Tiger Cypress Godfather” will bless their girls.

　　Source: Editorial Committee of the Yuncheng City Local Chronicles