Zhao Yun Temple

Zhao Yun Temple is located on Xingrong Road in Zhengding County, in Hebei province, in the area that was the ancient county of Changshan and Zhending. It commemorates Zhao Yun, also known as Zhao Zilong, a general who served Liu Bei in the Shu Han state and died in 229. Zhao Yun is celebrated in the historical record, the Records of the Three Kingdoms, and in the fourteenth-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where he is portrayed as a loyal and courageous commander, famed for rescuing Liu Bei's infant son at the Battle of Changban. The temple is a modern memorial complex built in the early twenty-first century in a Han and Three Kingdoms architectural style, rather than a historic original. Visitors enter through a large gate and pass through a series of halls and courtyards. Features include a bronze or stone statue of Zhao Yun on horseback, a memorial hall with exhibitions on his life, and displays that present scenes from the Three Kingdoms narrative. The temple also holds reproductions of weapons, armour and other period items, and the layout is intended to evoke a general's memorial shrine. Because the structures are modern, its value is cultural and narrative rather than archaeological, and it is best approached as a themed heritage park. It is popular with Chinese visitors who know the Three Kingdoms stories, and it is often visited alongside the old city walls and temples of Zhengding. A typical visit takes one to one and a half hours, and the site is located within the town so access is easy by taxi or bus.