The Zhang Fei Temple stands above the Yangtze at Yunyang, in the north-east of Chongqing, and it is dedicated to one of the most colourful figures of the Three Kingdoms period: Zhang Fei, the general of the Shu Han state whose temper, courage and death are part of Chinese popular history. Temples to him are not unusual, but this one has a particular claim, both for the age of its buildings and for what was done to save them in the early 2000s.
The temple and its contents
The complex is built up a slope in terraces, with halls, courtyards, pavilions and galleries, in a mixture of Ming and Qing work. It houses a substantial collection of stone inscriptions and calligraphy - reputedly one of the largest such collections on the upper Yangtze - along with paintings, wooden carvings and the usual images of the general and his associates. The temple has been a place of pilgrimage and of literary pilgrimage for centuries, and the steles record the visits and dedications of officials and scholars.
The move
When the Three Gorges reservoir was created, the original site was below the new water level. Rather than allow the temple to be submerged, a decision was taken to relocate it: the buildings were recorded, dismantled piece by piece, and rebuilt on a new site higher up the hillside, using the original materials and reproducing the layout. The work was done in the early 2000s, and the temple now stands on a ridge above the water with a view down onto the Yangtze and across to the town. It is one of the best examples of the relocation programme that accompanied the dam, alongside the better-known cases further downstream.
Practical notes
The temple is at Yunyang, about four hours from Chongqing by road and a scheduled stop on most Three Gorges cruises. It charges a modest admission and takes about an hour and a half. There is a long flight of steps from the road, and the site is exposed to the sun, so go early in the day if it is summer. The town below has been rebuilt on the hillside in the same way as Wushan and Fengjie, and walking its stair streets gives an idea of what the reservoir project meant for the settlements along the river.
