The Oldest Guan Yu Temple in Taiyuan - Xiaowei Camp Guan Yu Temple

Xiaowei Camp Guan Yu Temple is located next to the most bustling Zhonglou Street in Taiyuan. It is a quiet place in the busy city. There is no entrance fee, but you need to swipe your ID card to enter. It is closed on Mondays. This is the oldest Guan Yu Temple in Taiyuan, built in the Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the Yuan Dynasty. Most of the existing buildings are from the Ming Dynasty. The Guan Yu Temple faces south and has two courtyards. Entering the mountain gate, you will see the Guan Yu Temple, with the bell and drum towers standing on both sides. The main hall has a single-eave hanging mountain roof with green glazed tiles. Guan Yu stands in the middle, with Guan Ping holding a knife and Zhou Cang holding a seal. The walls on both sides are covered with murals. The main hall is ancient and weathered, and the sculptures are lifelike. The second courtyard is Guan Yu's bedroom, where the couple is worshiped, which is rare. The 12 maidservants are neatly arranged on both sides, with percussion instruments on one side and string instruments on the other. The original Ming Dynasty statues are preserved in the Tang Shuyu Temple in Jinci. The current set is a one-to-one replica, with vivid characters. It is the earliest classified music statue in China. After Lu Meng crossed the river in white clothes, Guan Yu was defeated and fled to Maicheng, where he was killed by Sun Quan. His head was sent to Cao Cao, who was frightened and hurriedly buried Guan Yu's head in Luoyang. Therefore, Guan Yu's body is in Dangyang, and his head is in Luoyang. Guan Yu is highly respected. After his death, Buddhism honored him as the Kalan Bodhisattva, responsible for guarding the temple. Taoism honored him as the Xietian Emperor, Confucianism honored him as the Wenheng Emperor, and the common people called him the God of Wealth! After visiting the two courtyards, several courtyards on the left are used as exhibition halls. Guan Yu is from Jiezhou, Shanxi. He is loyal and righteous, and his influence is widespread. If you visit Zhonglou Street, you might as well visit Xiaowei Camp Guan Yu Temple.