Wuhou Temple

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Wuhou Temple, located at the outskirts of Chengdu, was built to commemorate legendary military strategist Zhuge Liang 181 CE – 234 CE), who is lauded as intelligence and nobility personified. Built around 223 CE, it has been damaged, removed, and renovated many times. Today the entire temple/memorial complex is nearly 400,000 square feet.  Prior to the Tang Dynasty (618 CE – 907 CE), it was near Hanzhaolie Temple which was built for Liu Bei (emperor of the state of Shu, 161 CE – 223 CE), Zhuge Liang being one of his most trusted ministers. During the Ming Dynasty (1368 CE – 1644 CE), it was relocated to the Hanzhaolie Temple.

Wuhou Temple, otherwise known as the Memorial Temple of Marquis Wu, faces south with an axis running through Main Gate, Second Gate, Liubei’s hall, The Corridor, and Wuhou hall. Liubei’s hall is in the highest point, and its construction was designed to be very magnificent, impressing visitors with the grandeur of the emperor.

Stepping into Hanzholie Temple, visitors can observe many tablets on either side of the road which connects the main gate and the second gate. The tablets record detailed information on how to build and maintain the temple. In the east corridor, the priceless 12-foot Sanjue Tablet or Tablet of Triple-Success, was composed originally by chancellor Pi Du of the Tang Dynasty and then stylized by Liu Gongcuo, a famous calligrapher at that time.  Finally, the calligraphy was carved into the stele by a renowned engraver by the name of Lu Jian.

In Zhuge Liang hall, you can find several statues of Zhuge Liang and his offspring. In the back wall was embedded many stone inscriptions.

The Wuhou Temple was listed as a national historical site in 1961.