Guanlin Temple

Guanlin Temple stands on Guanlin Road in Luolong District, south of central Luoyang in Henan province. It is reportedly the burial place of the head of General Guan Yu, the Three Kingdoms warrior revered in Chinese tradition as a symbol of loyalty and righteousness. According to the story, Guan Yu was killed in the south, and his head was sent to the northern warlord Cao Cao, who buried it with honours at Luoyang, while his body lies elsewhere in Hubei. The temple is one of a small number of major Guan Yu shrines and is one of the three principal ones in China. The complex is a large walled compound of Ming and Qing halls arranged along a central axis, with an entrance gate, a ceremonial hall, a main hall with a statue of Guan Yu and, at the rear, a burial mound covered with old cypress trees. Stone lion guardians, carved beams, and old stelae line the paths. The pair of large stone lions at the front are among the most photographed features. Local worshippers burn incense and make offerings, and the mix of pilgrims and tourists gives the site a lively atmosphere, especially around festival days for Guan Yu. A visit takes about one to one and a half hours. Weekday afternoons are quiet, and mornings can see tour groups heading to Longmen Grottoes nearby. Photography is allowed in the courtyards, with limits inside the halls. Signs are primarily in Chinese, so learning the story of Guan Yu beforehand helps in understanding the shrines. Bus 81 toward Longmen Grottoes stops near the temple, and Didi costs about ¥15, which makes it easy to combine with the grottoes in one outing.