Wuhou Temple

The Wuhou Temple in Chengdu was originally built during the Three Kingdoms era in 223AD in memory of the Emperor of Shu, Liu Bei. A separate temple in memory of his Prime Minister Zhuge Liang was built next to it and the temples were merged. The original temple was destroyed and the present day Wuhou Temple was rebuilt in 1672, but it is dedicated to Zhuge Liang who is held in higher esteem than the Emperor.

Five different sections make up the Temple - The Gate, The second Gate, The Hall of Liu Bei, The corridor, and The Hall of Zhuge Liang.

The hall of Liu Bei houses a statue of the Emperor and statues of his two most important generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei on either side. Also located in the temple is the Emperor's tomb. Walking into Zhuge Liang's hall you will see a gold plated statue of him with three drums in front which are said to have been used during his battles and are very important pieces in the temple.

The most celebrated relic in the temple is a Stele made in 809 called the Triple-Success Stele. The name comes from its creation by three different people. Composed by Pei Duo, a famous prime minister in the Tang dynasty (618 ~ 907AD), written by a famous calligrapher named Liu Gongquan and engraved by Lu Jian, the stele is a masterpiece 367cm high and 97cm wide.

Also worth mentioning is the Temple's location adjacent to Jinli Ancient Street. Most visitors to Chengdu will visit this street so a tour of Wuhou temple is very convenient and worthwhile.