Han Hou Shrine

The Han Hou Shrine (韩侯祠), at 13 Zhenhuailou East Road in Huaicheng Subdistrict of Huai'an District, Huai'an, Jiangsu, is a memorial to Han Xin, the Western Han general who was born in the Huaiyin area and rose from poverty to become one of the principal commanders in the war that established the Han dynasty in the 3rd century BCE. Han Xin was later enfeoffed as Marquis of Huaiyin, and the name Han Hou, meaning Marquis Han, refers to that title. Local tradition places many of the episodes of his early life in Huai'an, including the story of the washerwoman who fed him and the humiliation of crawling between a bully's legs, both of which have become well-known Chinese idioms. The shrine complex is a traditional Chinese memorial hall with courtyards, halls and a statue of the general, built and rebuilt in the Ming and Qing periods and restored in modern times. Inscriptions, steles and couplets carved by later officials and poets celebrate his achievements and reflect on his tragic end at the hands of Empress Lü. Exhibits introduce the major campaigns attributed to him, including the strategic concepts associated with his name, and stories tied to the city. Features include memorial halls with painted beams, stone tablets, and small courtyard gardens, and the compound is closely tied to the nearby Zhenhuai Building and Huai'an Government House, which can be combined into a single walking route through the old city. The shrine is modest in scale but of high cultural interest to visitors who know the stories of the Chu-Han contention. Admission and opening hours should be confirmed at the site, since published sources do not agree on a fixed schedule or fee, and visitors should allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the visit.