Wuhou Temple (Wolonggang), Nanyang

Wuhou Temple, also called the Nanyang Wuhou Temple or Wolonggang, stands on Wolong Ridge on Wolonggang Road in Wolong District, Nanyang, in southwestern Henan province. It commemorates Zhuge Liang, the strategist of the Three Kingdoms period, who is said to have lived and farmed on this ridge before Liu Bei visited him three times and persuaded him to join the struggle for power. The story of the three visits is among the best-loved episodes in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the site is one of two claimants to Zhuge Liang's hermitage, the other being in Xiangyang, Hubei. The temple complex is set among old trees on a low ridge and follows a traditional layout of gates, halls and courtyards, with Ming and Qing buildings. Visitors pass a memorial archway, a main hall with statues of Zhuge Liang and companions, a hall to Liu Bei and other figures, and a thatched-cottage area representing the scholar's hermit home. Stele forests hold inscriptions and poems by later visitors, and pavilions, ponds and gardens give a scenic setting. A visit takes one and a half to two hours, and those who know the Three Kingdoms story will find more to recognise. Signage is mostly in Chinese, so a guide or background reading adds value. Weekday mornings are calm, while weekends and holiday periods bring more tour groups. Photography is generally allowed in outdoor areas and courtyards, with limits inside halls. Nanyang is reached by high-speed train from Zhengzhou East in about one hour 15 minutes, and a Didi from the station costs about ¥35. The city also has the Nanyang Museum and jade markets, which suit a longer stay for those combining history with local culture.