(Photo by Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum)

 

The Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum was constructed as a temple to commemorate Liu Bei, his chancellor Zhuge Liang and other eminent Shu Han figures. Its existence originates from the first year of the Zhangwu Era under the reign of Emperor Zhaolie (Liu Bei) of Shu Han (221), when Liu Bei's Hui Mausoleum was being built, together with the Hanzhaolie Temple.

 

In 1961, Wuhou Shrine was announced by the State Council as the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in China. In 1984 the museum of Wuhou Shrine was established, and in 1997 Sanyi Temple was wholly relocated to the Wuhou Shrine complex. In 2003 the Chengdu Nanjiao Park was incorporated as a part of shrine grounds, later in October 2004 the Jinli pedestrian zone began operation. In 2008 Wuhou Shrine was elevated in status as a National Grade I Museum, and in January 2009 the second phase of Jinli was opened to the public.

 

Occupying 150,000 square meters (230 mu), the shrine complex is made up of three main sections including the Three Kingdoms Cultural Relics Preservation Zone, Three Kingdoms Culture Experience Zone (i.e., The West Zone, which is the former Chengdu Nanjiao Park) and the Jinli Folk Customs Zone.

 

Wuhou Shrine is known as the "mecca of the Three Kingdoms" for it is China's only shrine where emperor and ministers are enshrined together, the most venerated memorial of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei and other important Shu Han individuals, and the world's most influential Three Kingdoms relics museum. The average annual number of visitors received at the Wuhou Shrine reaches approximately ten million person-times.

 

Source: Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum

Edited by Guo Jiamei