Wuhou Shrine stands in the south of central Chengdu, next to Jinli Street. It is a memorial complex rather than a religious temple, built to honour Zhuge Liang, the chancellor and strategist of the Shu Han kingdom, and Liu Bei, the warlord who founded that kingdom in 221 and made Chengdu his capital. The site has been rebuilt many times since the Tang dynasty, and the present layout dates largely from the Qing.
What you walk through
The complex is arranged along a central axis of courtyards and halls, with the tombs of Liu Bei and his consorts in a mound at the rear under a walled enclosure. The halls hold painted clay statues of the principal figures of the period - Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and their officials - along with stone steles, bronze vessels and display cases of weapons, coins and documents from the era. The most important stele on the site is a Tang-dynasty tablet praising Zhuge Liang, carved with text and calligraphy that is studied in its own right.
The red wall
The best-known feature is the curving red wall along one side of the grounds, with dense bamboo arching over it. The contrast of deep red, dark green and dappled light has made it one of the most photographed places in Chengdu, and it is genuinely beautiful early on a quiet morning. Arrive before the tour groups.
Practical information
The shrine is open daily, generally 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is around 50 yuan. It is on Metro Line 3 at Gaoshengqiao, and a short walk from the Wuhouci station on Line 3. Allow about ninety minutes. Jinli Street is directly next door and the two are usually visited together.
A note on the history
The Three Kingdoms period lasted only about sixty years, from 220 to 280, but its characters dominate Chinese popular culture through the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and its many adaptations. A little reading before you visit turns a hall of statues into a story, and the site is the best place in China to encounter the Shu Han half of that story.
