Temple of Marquis Wu
Situated on the southern outskirts of Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan, the Temple of Marquis Wu (武侯祠) was first built in the 6th century in memory of Zhuge Liang (181-234), a chancellor of the state of Shu-Han during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). Due to his great wisdom, he was considered the greatest military strategist of his time. The 37,000-square-meter temple is the only ancestral temple in China constructed in memory of both a king and his chancellor. Early in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the complex was combined with the Temple of Liu Bei (161-223), the founding emperor of Shu-Han, but with the name remaining unchanged until today. The 1672 renovations, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), determined the scale and layout of the present temple. Surrounded by ancient trees and red walls, the temple consists of the following major structures lying on the central axis stretching from south to north: the gate, the inner gate, Liu Bei Hall, a corridor and Zhuge Liang Hall. The Tomb of Liu Bei is located in the western section of the temple. The temple houses more than 40 clay statues of the historical Shu Kingdom figures, as well as many cultural relics including stone tablets, couplets, incense burners, bells and drums. [Photo/China.org.cn]