GUANLIN TEMPLE

This temple, located a few kilometers south of Luoyang by going to the Longmen caves, is dedicated to a popular hero, Guan Yu (160-219). Born in neighboring Shanxi province, he would have left his village at the age of 25 to go to the Hebei, where he met Liu Bei (who became the sovereign of the kingdom of Shu) and Zhang Fei (a future general of the kingdom of Shu). The three men lent their oath and became brothers of blood. Guan Yu began his long military career and was known as one of the largest Chinese vigilantes. Although not widely cited in history books, Guan Yu is the hero of many popular stories and Chinese classics, the best known being that of the Three Kingdoms. According to the annals, the temple of Guanlin was built under the Han and then renovated many times under the Ming and the Qing. The head of the famous hero would be buried in the temple.

The site is widely planted with cypress, which reinforces the atmosphere of mystery. The ensemble occupies an area of 6.5 hectares and adopts the traditional layout of the temples: the buildings are erected following a north-south axis. The extremely sober architecture reveals the simplicity of lines and motives that contribute to the visitor's sense of respect.

In front of the enclosure is a theater, then two imposing doors lead to the main building, the Prayer Room (Bai Dian) and the Grand Hall (Da Dian) announce the Second Room (Er Dian) which houses the effigy of Guan Yu looking south, where the enemy kingdom of Wu was located.

At the back, in the Third Room (San Dian), paintings describing scenes of the life of Guan Yu. Most of the buildings are augmented with the front roofs and relentless episodes of the Kingdom of Shu.

Behind the temple, announced by a commemorative ark erected in 1707, the tomb of Guan Yu, a tumulus. You will notice at the entrance of the temple two calligraphies of the hand of Emperor Qianlong and of the empress of the Prayer Cixi des Qing. The Guanyu festival, the 13 th month of the ninth month of the peasant calendar, is a pretext for a great popular rally.