Chengdu Wuhou Temple is an ancestral temple dedicated to Shu Han heroes such as Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei, and it is also the only ancestral temple in China where monarchs and ministers worship together. As the most prestigious relic of the Three Kingdoms, the Wuhou Temple attracts countless fans of the Three Kingdoms. Today, Wuhou Temple has developed into a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, and a national first-class museum. The stone statues of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and others are enshrined in the Wuhou Temple, and there is the tomb of Liu Bei, which is the most well-known memorial place of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang in the country, and countless visitors come here to worship and pay tribute to both. In general, as a monument, the Wuhou Temple is small in scale, the building is not complex and exquisite, the unearthed cultural relics are not rich, the viewing value is not high, the introduction to the history of the Three Kingdoms is not much, and the most prominent is its commemorative significance to Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei.
Wuhou Temple is actually the general name of all the ancestral halls of Zhuge Liang, there have been countless Wuhou Temples in history, and now the Wuhou Temple in Chengdu has the greatest influence, so the Wuhou Temple in people's mouths refers to this temple. The establishment of this Wuhou Temple, which was enshrined by monarchs and ministers, was not achieved overnight, but gradually formed in the long river of history. According to historical records, in 233 AD, Liu Bei's coffin was transported to Chengdu for burial after his death. And because there is a mausoleum must have a temple of the Han system, they built the Han Zhaolie Temple (that is, Liu Bei Temple) together. Around the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chengdu Wuhou Temple was relocated to the side of the Han Zhaolie Temple. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Chun, the king of Shu, ordered the Chengdu Wuhou Temple to be merged into the Huiling and Han Zhaolie Temple, and collectively referred to as the Han Zhaolie Temple. Before the merger, the Wuhou Temple was full of incense, and the Liu Bei Temple was deserted. After the official name, because Zhuge Liang's influence was greater than Liu Bei's, the folk still called this ancestral temple Wuhou Temple, and it continues to this day.
Since the Three Kingdoms period, there have been countless Zhuge Liang Ancestral Halls built by the civil officials, and many ancestral temples have not been rebuilt after being destroyed, and they have disappeared. The Han Zhaolie Temple is the only Liu Bei ancestral temple in history, which was built by the imperial court in all dynasties and was highly valued by the royal family. Therefore, the Chengdu Wuhou Temple, which is the same as Huiling and Han Zhaolie Temple, has been preserved and has become the most well-known one. Although Chengdu Wuhou Temple is higher than Huiling and Han Zhaolie Temple in popularity and popularity, to a certain extent, the former is attached to the latter two. The chaotic relationship between the buildings also reflects the intricate relationship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang from a certain perspective. Interested visitors can visit the official website of Wuhou Temple for more historical information. Visitors who don't know the background may wonder how the ancestral temple called Wuhou Temple has Liu Bei's tomb, and why the main entrance of the temple is hung with the words "Han Zhaolie Temple".
The Wuhou Temple, which was destroyed by the war, was restored and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, and the existing pattern was laid here. Wuhou Temple sits in the north and faces south, the main gate, Wenchen and Wujiang Corridor, Liu Bei Palace, Zhuge Liang Palace, Sanyi Temple and other main buildings are located on the central axis, while Huiling and Kong Ming Yuan are located on the left side. There is a stone lion of the Ming Dynasty on the left and right sides of the main gate, and the vermilion plaque in the middle of the gate is inscribed with four golden characters of "Han Zhaolie Temple". Some tourists are either in a hurry to enter the shrine, or are blocked by the tourists who gather in front of the gate, ignoring the attraction of the gate. There is a stele corridor on both sides of the gate, and there are six stone steles. Among them, the full name of the Tang stele is the Tang stele of the ancestral hall of the prime minister Zhuge Wuhou of Shu, which is a national first-class cultural relic, and is called the "three unique monuments" because of the exquisite text, calligraphy and engraving.
In the east and west corridors in front of Liu Bei's hall, there are 14 statues of Shu Han Wenchen and military generals respectively, including Pang Tong, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and so on. In front of each statue is a small stone tablet that briefly explains his life and deeds. Liu Bei Palace, that is, Zhaolie Temple, is a traditional single-eaves mountain style building, and the hanging plaque above the two doors is engraved with the four characters of "Ming Liang through the ages", which is inscribed by Wu Ying, the governor of Sichuan, which means "Ming Jun and good ministers, and a model for the ages". In the middle of the main hall is the statue of Liu Bei, which is the tallest statue in the whole temple, about 3 meters high. Liu Bei sat like holding a gui with both hands, and there was a waiter on the left and right. In addition, the east of the side hall on both sides is the statue of Guan Yu father and son and Zhou Cang, and the west is the statue of Zhang Fei's ancestors and grandchildren.
Huiling is located on the left side of Liu Bei's hall, composed of a wall, a mountain gate, a Shinto, a tomb, etc., and it is said that Zhuge Liang personally chose this place to bury Liu Bei. Zhaobi usually refers to the shielding inside the gate in ancient Chinese architecture, commonly known as the "screen wall", which is related to feng shui. Huiling stands in front of the tomb according to the wall, after the mountain gate is the building door, hangs the plaque of "Han Zhaolie Mausoleum", and then is the Shinto, leading to the sacrificial hall. The tombstone is embedded in the middle of the Que Fang in the sacrificial hall, and the seven characters of "Mausoleum of Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty" are engraved in regular script. Behind the Que Fang is the tomb mound, the existing sealed soil is 12 meters high, the circumference of the tomb wall is 180 meters, the tomb is surrounded by a gray brick wall, and the brick wall is a red wall sandwich road, which leads directly to Zhuge Liang Palace. Visitors walk in the middle of the road, surrounded by red brick walls, covered with pines and cypresses, and suddenly feel solemn and solemn.
Zhuge Liang Hall is located behind Liu Bei Palace, the hall between the two halls is hung with the plaque of "Wuhou Temple", which is also a scenic spot where the most tourists take pictures. Zhuge Liang Hall is a beam-frame wooden structure, the area is only half of Liu Bei's Palace, and it enshrines three generations of Zhuge Liang's ancestors and grandchildren. The statue of Zhuge Liang is in a central shrine, holding a feather fan, wearing a scarf, and his demeanor is elegant, which is the classic image of Zhuge Liang.
There are ancient monuments, stone statues and other cultural relics scattered in each hall, and the number is not much. In addition, the Wuhou Temple only has a brief description of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei and other Shu Han figures, and there is no systematic introduction to the history of the Three Kingdoms. If tourists want to learn about the history of the Three Kingdoms, it is recommended to rent an interpreter, ask a tour guide or follow the official account to listen to the explanation. Wuhou Temple is not exquisite in ancient buildings, and the unearthed cultural relics are relatively ordinary, and the scale is small, which is difficult to surprise people at the sensory level. Wuhou Temple is more of a cultural landscape, focusing on the commemoration of Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei. If tourists who are not interested in the three countries may feel bored. In addition, Jinli Ancient Street is located next to the Wuhou Temple, selling a variety of tourist souvenirs and Chengdu snacks, tourists can also stop by.
Suggested visiting time: half a day
Indicative fare:
Full ticket: 60 yuan/person/time
Annual pass: 100 yuan/person, unlimited entry throughout the year
Half ticket: 7-18 years old teenagers and college students with a bachelor's degree or below
Free admission: Seniors over 60 years old, children under 6 years old or under 1.3 meters tall, disabled people, public security officers, etc
Opening hours: Summer period (May 1 to October 31) from 8:00 to 20:00 (ticket sales close at 19:00)
Winter period (November 1 to April 30) is open from 8:00 to 18:30 (ticket sales close at 17:30)
Tips: 1. It is forbidden to bring pets, flammable, explosive and corrosive materials and controlled knives; 2. Some buildings are closed for maintenance from time to time, and you can pay attention to the notice of the official website and official public account; 3. Tickets must be purchased in cash on site
