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Guan Yu (關羽)(160–219) was a
military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern
Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. He played a
significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the
Han Dynasty and the establishment of the Kingdom of Shu, of which
Liu Bei was the first emperor.
One of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East
Asia, Guan Yu's true life stories have largely given way to
semi-fictional ones, mostly found in the historical novel Romance of
the Three Kingdoms or passed down the generations as folklore, in
which his deeds and moral qualities have been much exaggerated.
Guan Yu had been deified as early as the Sui Dynasty and is still
being worshipped by Chinese people today, especially in Hong Kong.
While being seen as the epitome of loyalty and righteousness, Guan
Yu had been criticized by historians for being arrogant and vain,
qualities that eventually led to his downfall in the hands of Sun
Quan, lord of the Kingdom of Wu.
Guan Yu is traditionally portrayed as a red-faced warrior with a
long lush beard. While his beard was indeed mentioned in the
Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, the idea of his red face was
probably borrowed from opera representation, where red faces depict
loyalty and righteousness. Also according to folklore, Guan Yu's
weapon was a guan dao named Green
Dragon Crescent Blade, which resembled a halberd and was said to
weigh 82 jin (41 kilograms using today's standards). A wooden
replica can be found today in the Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou
County, China. He traditionally dons a green robe over his body
armour, as depicted in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Simplified Chinese: 关羽; Traditional
Chinese: 關羽; Pinyin: Guān Yǔ; Wade-Giles: Kuan Yu; Zi: Yunchang
(雲長); Changsheng (長生); Name in Buddhism: Sangharama Bodhisattva
(伽藍菩薩); Deity name: Saintly Emperor Guan (關聖帝君); Other names: Lord
Guan (關公), Lord Guan the Second (關二爷), Lord of Magnificent Beard
(美髯公).
Contents
§ 1 The historical Guan Yu
§ 1.1 Early life
§ 1.2 Short service under Cao Cao
§ 1.3 Capture of Jingzhou
§ 1.4 Downfall
§ 1.5 Note
§ 2 Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
§ 2.1 Brotherhood sworn in the garden of
peach blossoms
§ 2.2 Slaying Hua Xiong
§ 2.3 Surrender to Cao Cao
§ 2.4 Slaying Yan Liang
§ 2.5 Slaying Wen Chou
§ 2.6 Crossing five passes and slaying six
warriors
§ 2.7 Releasing Cao Cao at Huarong Trail
§ 2.8 Treatment of a poisoned arm
§ 2.9 Enlightenment on Yuqian Hill
§ 2.10 Revenge on Lü Meng
§ 2.11 Miscellaneous Information
§ 3 Worship of Guan Yu
§ 3.1 General worship
§ 3.2 Worship in Taoism
§ 3.3 Worship in Buddhism
§ 4 References
§ 5 See also
§ 6 External links
1 The
historical Guan Yu
Early life
Guan Yu was born in the county of Xie (解, a subdistrict of present
day Yuncheng, Shanxi). The year of his birth is not found in
historical records, but according to a 1680 stele in a temple
worshipping Guan Yu in his hometown, as well as a biography of Guan
Yu written in 1756, Guan Yu's birth year is estimated to be 160.
Guan Yu fled his hometown at the age of twenty-three after slaying a
local bully named Lü Xiong (吕熊). Five years later, he arrived in
Zhuo Commandery (涿郡, present day Zhuozhou, Hebei), where Liu Bei was
recruiting a force to heed the government's call to resist the
Yellow Turban Rebellion. Together with Zhang Fei, Guan Yu joined Liu
Bei and fought against the rebel forces in northern China. For his
efforts Liu Bei was appointed governor of Pingyuan County (平原). Guan
Yu and Zhang Fei were also made commanders and given their own
divisions of troops. According to the Chronicles of the Three
Kingdoms, the three men slept on the same bed and treated one
another like brothers. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also followed Liu Bei
wherever he went, and protected him from danger however perilous the
situation.
In 199 Liu Bei assassinated the governor of Xuzhou (徐州) appointed by
the rising warlord Cao Cao and placed Guan Yu in control of the
regional capital Xiapi, while he returned to Xiaopei (小沛). Cao Cao
soon retaliated, personally leading a campaign east to reclaim
Xuzhou. Liu Bei fled to seek refuge under Yuan Shao, a powerful
warlord further north, but Xiapi was captured and Guan Yu
surrendered to Cao Cao. Cao Cao treated Guan Yu with respect and
even made him a deputy general.
Short service under
Cao Cao
In 200, Yuan Shao mustered an army boasting 100,000 in strength and
marched on Xuchang, the new capital and base city of Cao Cao. To
ensure a safe crossing of the Yellow River, Yuan Shao sent his
trusted general Yan Liang to attack Baima (白馬, northeast of present
day Huaxian, Henan) as a diversionary tactic. In a counter-tactic,
Cao Cao moved his main force westwards along the Yellow River,
diverting Yuan Shao's army in the same direction, but sent Guan Yu
and Zhang Liao east to relieve the attack on Baima. Upon reaching
Baima, Guan Yu saw from afar the standard on Yan Liang's chariot and
urged his mount towards the latter. He speared Yan Liang amid the
enemy troops, and brought back his severed head. Thus Yuan Shao lost
an important lieutenant and the siege of Baima was unravelled. Guan
Yu was then enfeoffed as Marquis¹ of Hanshou (漢夀亭侯).
After doing Cao Cao this favor, Guan Yu declined further gifts from
the former. Leaving behind a letter, he left for his former lord,
who was still in the camp of Yuan Shao. When some of his
subordinates wanted to pursue Guan Yu, Cao Cao stopped them, saying,
'To each his own'.
Capture of Jingzhou
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao at the decisive Battle of Guandu,
Liu Bei went south to seek shelter under Jingzhou (荆州) governor Liu
Biao, who soon died of sickness. Cao Cao took the opportunity to
expand his control south and seized a great part of Jingzhou north
of the Yangtze River, but Liu Bei escaped south and formed a
coalition with Sun Quan, a powerful warlord controlling most of
southeastern China. The coalition defeated Cao Cao at the Battle of
Red Cliffs and Jingzhou was reclaimed. Guan Yu was promoted to
General Who Purges Rebels (荡寇将軍) and made governor of Xiangyang (but
he was stationed in Jiangling), in charge of the defense of northern
Jingzhou.
In 213, Liu Bei left for Yizhou (present day Sichuan) and took over
the region two years later, staying there ever since. In 219, Liu
Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong (漢中王) and promoted Guan Yu
to General of the Front (前将軍), ranked first among the top five
generals under his service (popularly known as the Five Tiger
Generals, among whom were Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Huang
Zhong).
Downfall
In the same year Guan Yu attacked Fancheng (樊城, present day Xiangfan,
Hubei), a city near Xiangyang which was defended by Cao Ren, a
trusted general and cousin of Cao Cao. A long spell of rainfall as
autumn came around flooded the Han River next to the city, which
greatly aided Guan Yu. The flood drowned the majority of the relief
troops Cao Cao sent, while their commanders, Yu Jin and Pang De,
were both captured by Guan Yu. However, a further relief force under
Xu Huang successfully repelled the invaders.
Further, at this time, it became known that Sun Quan, whom Guan had
previously repeatedly provoked -- including, for example, forcibly
seizing Sun's troops' food supply for his own troops while marching
north against Cao -- had attacked Guan's home base of Jiangling, and
that the two commanders that Guan had left in charge of the home
base -- Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, whom Guan had repeatedly insulted and
threatened to punish -- had surrendered to Sun. Instead of
immediately sealing off the report of this, Guan allowed this news
be known to his army, which then lost its will to fight, and the
troops began to desert to Sun.
With many of his troops deserted, Guan Yu attempted to retreat west
to reunite with Liu Bei. However, he was encircled by Sun Quan's
forces west of Maicheng (麦城, southeast of present day Dangyang,
Hubei) and captured along with his son Guan Ping. Both were
executed. Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao (in an attempt to
lay blame on Cao Cao), who buried the body with the honors befitting
a marquis. Guan Yu was given the posthumous title of Marquis
Zhuangmou (壮缪侯).
In 223, Liu Bei attempted a campaign to recapture Jingzhou and
avenge Guan Yu, which culminated in his decisive defeat at the
Battle of Yiling. Guan Yu's son Guan Xing and grandson Guan Tong
both served as military commanders in the Kingdom of Shu. According
to the Record of Shu (蜀記) by Wang Yin (王隐), after the Kingdom of Wei
conquered Shu in 263, Guan Yu's entire household was massacred by
Pang Hui, son of Pang De who was executed by Guan Yu at the Battle
of Fancheng.
Note
¹ The title of marquis was divided into three grades during the late
Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period. These are, in ascending order
of prestige, tinghou (亭侯), xianghou (乡侯) and xianhou (县侯). Guan Yu's
was the first.
2 Guan Yu in
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel based on the
events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms period.
Written by Luo Guanzhong more than a millennium after the Three
Kingdoms period, the novel incorporates many popular folklore and
opera scripts into the character of Guan Yu, making him one of the
most altered and aggrandized in the book. Significant incidents that
deviate from true history include:
Brotherhood
sworn in the garden of peach blossoms
One of the most well-known story from the novel, found in the first
chapter, it speaks of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei who, having met
by chance in the county of Zhuo in 188, found that all three shared
the same desire to serve the country in the tumultuous times. They
swore to be brothers the next day in Zhang Fei's backyard, which was
a garden full of peach blossoms. Liu Bei was ranked the eldest, Guan
Yu the second, and Zhang Fei the youngest. Having done this, they
recruited more than 300 local men and joined the resistance against
Yellow Turban rebels.
In real life, the three did not become sworn brothers. The
Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms says the three often shared a bed,
and treated one another as brothers. Guan Yu was also a year older
than Liu Bei, not younger.
The peach blossom oath inspired the present day secret societies in
Chinese communities, such as the Triad, to use a similar ritual when
swearing in new members. "Though not born on the same day of the
same month in the same year, we hope to die so" - the phrase the
three brothers made during the oath - had also become popular among
the present day secret society members.
Slaying Hua Xiong
In Chapter 5, warlords around the country formed a coalition against
Dong Zhuo, the tyrannical warlord and minister who held the puppet
Emperor Xian hostage in the capital Luoyang. Guan Yu and his sworn
brothers were then serving in the camp of Gongsun Zan, a warlord
from northern China who was also in the coalition.
Dong Zhuo placed Hua Xiong at the Sishui Pass to ward off the
attack. Having singlehandedly slain four generals of the coalition -
Bao Zhong (鲍忠), Zu Mao (祖茂), Yu She (俞涉) and Pan Feng (潘凤) - Hua
Xiong seemed indomitable. Despite mistrust from many leaders of the
coalition, Guan Yu, who was a mere horsed archer then, volunteered
to duel Hua Xiong. Cao Cao, one of the eighteen coalition leaders,
poured Guan Yu a cup of hot wine but the latter declined, claiming
he would soon return. Within moments Guan Yu truly reappeared with
Hua Xiong's head in hand, while the wine was still warm!
In true history Hua Xiong was executed after his force was defeated
by Sun Jian at Yangren (阳人).
Surrender to Cao
Cao
In Chapter 25, Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei's position in Xuzhou (徐州).
The defeated Liu Bei escaped to seek refuge in the camp of Yuan Shao,
a powerful warlord in the north. Guan Yu, along with two wives of
Liu Bei, was besieged in the city of Xiapi. Taunting outside the
city walls, Cao Cao's general Xiahou Dun managed to draw Guan Yu
out. As he pursued his enemy far from the city gate, Guan Yu found
his retreat cut off by the invading troops. He then made a stand on
top of a nearby knoll, but the city was already taken.
Zhang Liao, another general under Cao Cao who was an old friend of
Guan Yu, then came unarmed up the knoll. He tried to persuade Guan
Yu to surrender using reason. Guan Yu agreed, but with three
conditions: that the surrender was to the Han emperor and not Cao
Cao; that the two wives of Liu Bei were to be suitably provided for
and protected; and that all three would leave to seek Liu Bei once
they found out his whereabouts. These conditions were agreed to and
Guan Yu finally surrendered without breaking the code of loyalty.
Cao Cao was very pleased and showered Guan Yu with many gifts,
including Red Hare, a top-grade steed previously owned by the
warrior Lü Bu.
According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, both Guan Yu and
family members of Liu Bei were captured after Xiapi was fallen,
though it was not stated in any known historical records that Guan
Yu made the three conditions of surrender. The gift of Red Hare was
probably also fabricated later.
Slaying Yan Liang
Also in Chapter 25, Cao Cao confronted Yuan Shao on the shores of
the Yellow River. To ensure a safe crossing south, Yuan Shao sent a
diversionary force east under his trusted general Yan Liang to
attack Baima (白馬, northeast of present day Huaxian, Henan). Cao Cao
drew a 50,000-strong army and came personally to defend Baima. As
the two armies made their stands across the plain, Cao Cao sent out
Song Xian and Wei Xu to duel with Yan Liang, but both were slew
within bouts. As suggested by advisor Cheng Yu (程昱), Cao Cao then
sent for Guan Yu.
The next day, as Yan Liang's army lined up on the battlefield, Guan
Yu sat with Cao Cao on a hillock and looked down. From afar he saw
Yan Liang sitting on a chariot under the army standard. Leaping onto
the Red Hare, Guan Yu galloped straight into the enemy ranks, which
broke before him like waves before a swift vessel. Before Yan Liang
could react, he was struck down by his nemesis. Guan Yu severed Yan
Liang's head, tied it to the neck of his steed and rode back
unhindered.
In true history Cao Cao did not participate personally in the Battle
of Baima but rather led his main force westwards along the Yellow
River to draw Yuan Shao in the same direction. Guan Yu and Zhang
Liao were then sent to defend Baima against Yan Liang's division.
Slaying Wen Chou
In Chapter 26, following the death of Yan Liang in Guan Yu's hands,
Wen Chou, another trusted general of Yuan Shao, volunteered to
avenge his close friend. Leading 100,000 troops, Wen Chou crossed
the Yellow River and came for Cao Cao's camp. In an unusual move,
Cao Cao turned his entire formation around, placing the supplies in
front. While Wen Chou's soldiers made an easy task robbing the
supplies, Cao Cao directed his men south onto a knoll, from where
they allowed their horses to graze. Wen Chou's soldiers pounced upon
the horses as they approached the knoll and became disorganized. Cao
Cao then gave the order for a counterattack, forcing the enemies to
retreat.
Zhang Liao and Xu Huang immediately gave chase. Wen Chou fired two
arrows from atop his horse, one of which cut off the feather on
Zhang Liao's helmet and the other hit Zhang Liao's horse in the
face. With his poleaxe, Xu Huang came for Wen Chou but had to
retreat when a band of enemy soldiers came to their commander's
rescue. Leading a dozen riders, Guan Yu cut off Wen Chou's escape
and engaged in a duel with the enemy. Within three bouts, Wen Chou
withdrew and attempted to evade. However, Guan Yu's Red Hare was of
a superior breed and soon caught up. Guan Yu then slew Wen Chou from
behind.
It was not stated in historical records whether Wen Chou was killed
by Guan Yu in battle, only that Wen Chou's force was defeated and
himself was killed.
Crossing five
passes and slaying six warriors
Another of the most popular stories surrounding Guan Yu, this tale
speaks of the loyal man's hazardous Guan Yu submitting to Cao Cao in
the 84-episode TV serial Romance of the Three Kingdoms journey to
reunite with his lord and sworn brother Liu Bei, who was residing in
Yuan Shao's camp. The five passes mentioned in fact only consist of
two bona fide passes - Dongling and Sishui - while the rest were two
cities and a guarded ferry point.
The story began late in Chapter 26 where, having found out the
whereabouts of Liu Bei some time after the slaying of Wen Chou, Guan
Yu prepared to leave Xuchang along with Liu Bei's two wives. Unable
to keep the determined general, Cao Cao forbade his subjects from
pursuing Guan Yu.
Riding beside the horse carriage carrying his sisters-in-law, Guan
Yu set off for Luoyang. However, he was stopped at Dongling Pass
(東岭關, south of present day Dengfeng, Henan) by the pass defender
Kong Xiu (孔秀), who refused passage for the former without a document
from Cao Cao. Guan Yu had no choice but to slay Kong Xiu in a duel
and force through the pass.
Having crossed the first pass, Guan Yu arrived outside Luoyang. The
city governor Han Fu (韩福) drew a thousand troops and blocked the
city gate. Han Fu's aide Meng Tan (孟坦) came forward to duel Guan Yu.
Within bouts, Meng Tan retreated in an attempt to draw Guan Yu into
a trap, but Guan Yu's horse was fast and Meng Tan was slashed into
halves before he could escape. However, Han Fu had already taken aim
and fired an arrow at Guan Yu, who was struck in the left arm.
Plucking the arrow out from the bleeding wound, Guan Yu then came
for Han Fu and cleaved him clean below the shoulders.
Having dressed his wound, Guan Yu was anxious to move on. The
company moved through the night to arrive at Sishui Pass (汜水關, north
of present day Xingyang, Henan). The pass defender, Bian Xi, laid
200 men in ambush in a temple outside the pass, while he went out to
meet Guan Yu. Having won the trust of the latter, Bian Xi then
invited Guan Yu to a feast in the temple hall. One of the monks, who
was also from the county of Xie, hinted the danger to his fellow
townsfolk. The ambush then failed and Guan Yu slew the scheming Bian
Xi and left for Xingyang (滎陽).
Wang Zhi (王植), the governor of Xingyang, attempted a similar scheme.
Feigning kindness towards Guan Yu, Wang Zhi led the company to a
relay station to settle for the night. He then ordered his deputy Hu
Ban (胡班) to draw a thousand troops to surround the station and burn
it. Curious about how the famed Guan Yu looked like, Hu Ban decided
to go into the station to take a peek. Guan Yu heard him and asked
who he was, whereupon he learnt that Hu Ban was the son of Hu Hua
(胡华), an old villager who had given Guan Yu's company lodging early
in the journey. Guan Yu then passed Hu Ban a letter from his father,
which told of the loyal and upright man Guan Yu was, whereupon Hu
Ban divulged Wang Zhi's plot, and opened the city gate for Guan Yu
to escape. However, Wang Zhi soon caught up and came for Guan Yu
with his spear poised. Guan Yu spun around and cleaved him in half.
Trudging along, the company finally arrived at the ferry point on
the southern shore of the Yellow River. Qin Qi (秦琪), the defender of
the crossing, met a similar fate as his colleagues who dared
challenge Guan Yu. Within a bout, Guan Yu severed Qin Qi's head with
a sweep of his sabre. Thus the company finally crossed the Yellow
River and came to Yuan Shao's territory, though, unknown to them,
Liu Bei had by then already moved to Runan (汝南).
Throughout Guan Yu's escape, he also encountered Zhang Liao and
Xiahou Dun, who eventually did not resist him much as Cao Cao kept
wavering between his orders to stop Guan Yu or to let him go. At the
end of his departure, Guan was to meet Zhang Fei, who, against the
advice of others, was infuriated with Guan for having defected and
picked up his spear to fight him. Guan was unprepared for this but
after several bouts, Guan managed to convince Zhang that he was
still true to their brotherhood.
Releasing Cao Cao
at Huarong Trail
In Chapter 50, after the fire started burning his ships at the
Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao gathered all the men he could and
escaped towards the city of Jiangling. Under instruction from
advisor Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu led 500 foot soldiers and lay in wait
along the Huarong Trail, a narrow shortcut in the woods leading to
Jiangling. Prior to leaving, Guan Yu had duly sworn an oath not to
allow Cao Cao passage over past favours from the warlord.
On the other hand, Cao Cao had come to a fork in the road during his
perilous escape. Columns of smoke were seen rising from the narrower
path. Cao Cao judged that the smoke was a trick of the enemy to
divert him to the main road, where an ambush must have been laid. He
then led his men towards the narrow path - the Huarong Trail.
The smoke was indeed a trick by Zhuge Liang. Grasping Cao Cao's
psychology exactly, however, Zhuge Liang had meant to direct him to
the Huarong Trail, where Guan Yu with his men were waiting. Upon
being cut off, Cao Cao rode forward and appealed to Guan Yu to
remember his kindness in former days. Seeing the plight of the
defeated men and recalling the former favors he received from Cao
Cao, Guan Yu eventually allowed the enemy to pass through without
challenge, despite his previous oath. Upon returning, Guan Yu
pleaded guilty and would have been executed at the order of Zhuge
Liang if not for Liu Bei's intercession.
Treatment of a
poisoned arm
In Chapter 75, during a siege on Fancheng (樊城, present day Xiangfan,
Hubei), Guan Yu had been struck in the right arm by a bolt fired by
crossbowers from the city walls. The arrow was promptly removed but
poison smeared on the arrowhead had already seeped deep to the bone.
As he was unwilling to abandon the offensive campaign, his subjects
had to send for physicians to the camp to treat the poisoned arm.
One day, the famed physician Hua Tuo came by a boat from the east
and went to see Guan Yu, who was playing a game of go with advisor
Ma Liang. After examining the wound, Hua Tuo told Guan Yu he had to
cut open the flesh and scrape off the residual poison on the surface
of the bones. He also suggested that the patient place the injured
arm through a ring fixed to a pillar to prevent movement in the
absence of anaesthesia, and that blindfold be applied. However, Guan
Yu requested that the primitive surgery be performed on the spot,
while he continued the game. Those around him cringed at the sound
of the knife scraping the bone, but Guan Yu ate and drank, talked
and laughed as if he did not feel any pain, presumably not to affect
the morale of his army.
Within moments, the treatment was completed. Hua Tuo applied some
medications to the wound and sewed it up. Guan Yu laughed and
praised the skills of the physician, for the arm felt no more pain.
Hua Tuo then left without accepting any reward.
The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms did record a similar incident,
though the physician was not named. Also, the injury was sustained
on the left arm instead of the right at an unspecified time. Hua Tuo
was not alive at that time of treatment. He was credited to have
died in 208 AD, 12 years before the scraping of the bones story
happened.
Enlightenment
on Yuqian Hill
In Chapter 77, after Guan Yu was beheaded by Sun Quan, lord of the
Kingdom of Wu, his spirit roamed the land, crying, "Give me back my
head!" Thus he came to Yuquan Hill (玉泉山) outside Dangyang County
(present day city of Dangyang, Hubei), where he met the same monk
who saved his life at the temple outside Sishui Pass many years ago
during his journey to reunite with Liu Bei. The monk said to Guan
Yu's spirit, "Now you ask for your head, but from whom should Yan
Liang, Wen Chou, the guardians of the five passes and many others
ask for theirs?". The spirit was enlightened and dissipated, though
it henceforth often manifested itself around the hill and protected
the locals. A temple was then built by the people on the hill to
worship him.
The Buddhist monk mentioned in the novel, named Pujing (普净) in his
faith, was said to have built a grass hut for himself at the
southeastern foot of Yuquan Hill during the last years of the
Eastern Han Dynasty. At the location of the hut was later built the
Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺), the oldest temple in the Dangyang region from
where Guan Yu worship originated, completed within the last decade
of the 6th century, during the Sui Dynasty. Accordingly, it was to
the first reverend of the Yuquan Temple Guan Yu's spirit manifested
itself and requested entrance into Buddhism. One of the temple
halls, named Sangharama Hall, is dedicated to Guan Yu (see Worship
of Guan Yu below for more details).
Revenge on Lü Meng
Also in Chapter 77, after executing Guan Yu and reclaiming Jingzhou
(荆州), Sun Quan threw a feast to celebrate and recommend Lü Meng,
chief planner and commander of the maneuver to capture Jingzhou and
Guan Yu. On the feast, however, Lü Meng was possessed by Guan Yu's
spirit and seized Sun Quan. As others
rushed forward to save their lord, the possessed Lü Meng swore
revenge. In moments, Lü Meng collapsed onto the floor and died. The
frightened Sun Quan then sent Guan Yu's severed head in a wooden box
to Cao Cao, meaning to sow a discord between the Kingdom of Shu and
Kingdom of Wei.
When Cao Cao opened the box, he saw that Guan Yu looked as he did
alive. Cao Cao smiled and said to Guan Yu's head, "I hope you are
well since we last parted". To his horror, Guan Yu opened his mouth,
and the long beard and hairs stood on their ends. Cao Cao fell to
the floor and did not regain consciousness for a long time. When he
did, he exclaimed, "General Guan is truly a god from heaven!". He
then ordered the head be buried with honors accorded a noble.
Miscellaneous
Information
Guan Yu had 3 sons: Guan Ping, Guan Suo and Guan Xing. Guan Yu was
also often flanked by two generals, Zhou Cang and Liao Hua.
3 Worship of Guan
Yu
Guan Yu has been deified as early as the Sui Dynasty and is still
popularly worshipped today among the Chinese people variedly as an
indigenous Chinese deity, a bodhisattva in Buddhism and a guardian
deity in Taoism. He is also held in high esteem in Confucianism.
These are not necessarily contradictory or even distinguished among
the common folks as is characteristic of the Chinese, who have quite
seamlessly merged these ancient philosophies and religions into
their own culture.
In the West, Guan Yu is sometimes called the Taoist God of War,
probably because he is one of the most well-known military generals
in Chinese history. This is
misconceived as, unlike Mars or Tyr, Guan Yu as a god does not
necessarily bless those who go to battle but rather anyone who
observes the code of brotherhood and righteousness.
General worship
In general worship, Guan Yu's is widely referred to as Emperor Guan
(關帝), short for his Taoist title Saintly Emperor Guan (關聖帝君).
Temples and shrines dedicated exclusively to Guan Yu could be found
in parts of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other
places where Chinese congregate. Some of these temples, such as the
Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou (解州), Shanxi, were built exactly in
the layout of a palace, befitting his status as an 'emperor'.
The apotheosis of Guan Yu occurred in stages, as he was given ever
larger posthumous titles. Liu Shan, the second emperor of the
Kingdom of Shu, gave Guan Yu the posthumous title of Marquis
Zhuangmou (壮缪侯) four decades after his death. During the Song
Dynasty, Emperor Huizong bestowed upon Guan Yu the title of Duke
Zhonghui (忠惠公), and later even the title of a prince. In 1187,
during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong Guan Yu was established as
Prince Zhuangmou Yiyong Wu'an Yingji (壮缪義勇武安英济王). After Song was
annihilated by Mongols, who established the Yuan Dynasty in China,
Guan Yu was renamed Prince of Xianling Yiyong Wu'an Yingji
(显灵義勇武安英济王) by Emperor Wenzong.
The escalation of Guan Yu's status to that of an emperor took place
during the Ming Dynasty. In 1614, the Wanli Emperor bestowed on Guan
Yu the title of Saintly Emperor Guan the Great God Who Subdues
Demons of the Three Worlds and Whose Awe Spreads Far and Moves
Heaven (三界伏魔大神威远震天尊關聖帝君). During the Qing Dynasty, the Shunzhi
Emperor gave Guan Yu the title of Zhongyi Shenwu Great Saintly
Emperor Guan (忠義神武關聖大帝) in 1644. This title was expanded to Renyong
Weixian Huguo Baomin Jingcheng Ruijing Yuzan Xuande Zhongyi Shenwu
Great Saintly Emperor Guan (仁勇威显护國保民精誠绥靖羽赞宣德忠義神武關聖大帝), a total of 24
characters, by mid-19th century.
Throughout history Guan Yu had also been credited with many military
successes. During the Ming dynasty he was said to have aided the
founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's fleet at the Battle of Boyang. In
1402, Zhu Di launched a coup d'état and successfully deposed his
nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. Zhu Di claimed that he
had been blessed by the spirit of Guan Yu. During the last decade of
the 16th century, Guan Yu was also credited with the repulse of
Japanese invasion of Korea by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (called The
Seven-Year War of Korea). The ruling Manchu house of the Qing
dynasty also associated with Guan Yu's martial qualities. During the
20th century, Guan Yu was worshipped by the warlord Yuan Shikai,
president and later a shortlived emperor of China.
Today Guan Yu is still widely worshipped by common folks. In Hong
Kong, a shrine for Guan Yu is located in each police station. Though
by no means mandatory, most Chinese policemen worship and pay
respect to him. Seemingly ironic, members of the Triad gangs and the
Hung clan worship Guan Yu as well. This exemplifies the Chinese
belief that a code of honor, epitomized by Guan Yu, exists even in
the underworld. In Hong Kong, Guan Yu is often referred to as "Yi
Gor" (二哥, Cantonese for second big brother) for he was second to Liu
Bei in their legendary sworn brotherhood. Guan Yu is also worshipped
by Chinese businessmen in Shanxi Province, Hong Kong, Macau and
Southeast Asia as an alternative God of Wealth, since he is
perceived to bless the upright and protect them from the crooked.
Another reason being related to the release of Cao Cao during the
Huarong Pass incident where he let Cao Cao and his general passed
through safely. As for that, he was perceived to be able to give a
lifeline to those that needed it.
Worship in Taoism
Guan Yu is revered as Saintly Emperor Guan (Simplified Chinese:
关圣帝君; Traditional Chinese: 關聖帝君; Pinyin: Gūanshèngdìjūn) and a
leading subduer of demons in Taoism. Taoist worship of Guan Yu began
during the Song Dynasty. Legend has it that during the second decade
of the 12th century, the saltwater lake in the present day Xiezhou
County (解州镇) gradually ceased to yield salt. Emperor Huizong then
summoned Celestial Master Zhang Jixian (張繼先), thirtieth descendent
of Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, to investigate the cause. The
emperor was told that the disruption was the work of Chi You, a
deity of war. The Master then recruited the help of Guan Yu, who did
battle with Chi You over the lake and triumphed, whereupon the lake
resumed salt production. Emperor Huizong then bestowed upon Guan Yu
the title of Immortal of Chongning (崇寕真君), formally introducing the
latter as a deity into Taoism.
In early Ming Dynasty, the forty-second Celestial Master Zhang
Zhengchang (張正常) recorded the incident in his book Lineage of the
Han Celestial Masters (漢天师世家), the first Taoist classic to affirm
the legend. Today Taoism practices are predominant in Guan Yu
worship. Many temples dedicated to Guan Yu, including the Emperor
Guan Temple in Xiezhou County, show heavy Taoist influence. Every
year, on the thirteenth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar
(legendary birthday of Guan Yu), a street parade in the honor of
Emperor Guan would also be held.
Worship in
Buddhism
In Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yu is honored as a bodhisattva and
protector of the Dharma. He is called Sangharama Bodhisattva
(Simplified Chinese: 伽蓝菩萨; Traditional Chinese: 伽藍菩薩; Pinyin: Qíelán
Púsà). Sangharama in Sanskrit means "temple", therefore Guan Yu is
also the guardian of the temple. His statue is usually located on
the far left of the main shrine, opposite his counterpart, Skanda
Bodhisattva.
According to the Buddhist account, in 592, Guan Yu manifested
himself one night before the Tripitaka Master Zhiyi, founder of the
Tientai school of Buddhism, with a retinue of spiritual beings.
Zhiyi was then in deep meditation on Yuquan Hill (玉泉山) when he was
distracted by Guan Yu's presence. After receiving Buddhist teachings
from the master, Guan Yu acquired the Five Precepts. Henceforth he
became the guardian of temples and the Dharma. Legends also claim
that Guan Yu assisted Zhiyi in the construction of the Yuquan Temple
(玉泉寺), which still stands today.
In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong
wrote that Guan Yu manifested himself to a monk named Pujing (普净) on
Yuquan Hill on the night of his death. From Pujing Guan Yu sought
the Buddhist teachings and entered the faith. While this being a
modification of the "true" account, Pujing did exist in history. The
location at which Pujing built a grass hut for himself was where the
Yuquan Temple was later built on.
References
§ Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi, Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN
7-80665-198-5.
§ Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi, Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN
7-80520-013-0.
§ Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the
Three Kingdoms, Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.
§ 关羽生平 (http://www.gggl.gov.cn/gggl/guangongwenhua/guanyusp.htm).
关公文化. URL accessed on July 16, 2005. (In Simplified Chinese)
§ 关公崇拜 (http://www.guandimiao.com.cn/html/ggcb.asp). 中国解州关帝庙. URL
accessed on July 20, 2005. (In Simplified Chinese)
§ 三国地名考 (http://www.mqxs.com/zlxj/jsxs/003.htm). 明清小说研究. URL
accessed on July 13, 2005. (In Simplified Chinese)
§ 当阳玉泉寺 (http://yqhq.webhostzero.com/yqs.html). 当阳玉泉寺. URL accessed
on July 14, 2005. (In Simplified Chinese)
See also
§ Five Tiger Generals
§ Three Kingdoms
§ Han Dynasty
§ Personages of the Three Kingdoms
§ Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms
§ Romance of the Three Kingdoms
External links
§ Official website of Emperor Guan Temple in Xiezhou (in Simplified
Chinese) (http://www.guandimiao.com.cn/main.asp) |
[click]
Guan Yu at the
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