The largest martial temple south of the Yangtze River, with four coiled dragon pillars that are rare nationwide!

Yongzhou Wumiao, also known as Guan Sheng Temple or Lingling Wumiao, was founded in the early years of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, located at the summit of Dongshan in the ancient city of Lingling. Its predecessor was the Chanling Marquis Temple, built to commemorate Lu Meng, adjacent to the ancient Green Sky Hermitage where Huai Su studied and the Gao Mountain Temple. Yongzhou Wumiao is a temple dedicated to the worship of Guan Yu, a 'Martial Saint' of his era. It served both as a place of military honor worship and military coordination, witnessing important military activities such as local oath-taking expeditions, military consultations, and victory reports during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the largest and most influential martial temple south of the Yangtze River. In the second year of the Shenlong era (706) of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Taigong Temples were established in the two capitals, Chang'an and Luoyang. In 760, Emperor Suzong of Tang honored Jiang Taigong as 'King Wucheng', also known as 'Martial Saint'. The Taigong Temple was officially renamed 'King Wucheng Temple', commonly known as Wumiao, initiating the worship of Taigong and the sacrificial tradition of martial temples. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Guan Yu was a secondary deity in the worship of King Wucheng, but during the Yongzheng era, he became the main deity of the Wumiao. Guan Yu was a famous general during the Three Kingdoms period, known for his feats such as slaying Hua Xiong while warming wine, maintaining proper rituals while staying in Cao Cao's camp, hanging his seal to pledge allegiance, flooding seven armies, scraping bone to treat his wound, and capturing Lu Su with a single blade. After his defeat and death at the Battle of Maicheng, his horse Red Hare refused to eat or drink and died of grief. Later, Emperor Shenzong of Ming posthumously honored him as 'Lord Chasing the Wind'. Guan Yu was revered for his righteousness and outstanding military achievements, embodying the Chinese national spirit of 'loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and bravery', and was worshipped as a god of war. He was ennobled by the Han, enshrined as a king by the Song, deified by the Ming, and sanctified by the Qing. Confucianists called him a saint, Buddhists a Buddha, and Taoists a Heavenly Venerable. Over thousands of years, he has risen from 'a hero for all ages' to 'a god capable of everything', revered by all. The establishment of a temple in Yongzhou to worship Guan Yu began in the Ming dynasty, originally called 'Shu Han's Former General, the Marquis of Zhuangmiao'. The Qing dynasty saw the peak of Guan Di worship, and in the second year of Shunzhi (1645), the 13th day of the fifth lunar month was designated as the day of worship at the Guan Temple. In the third year of Yongzheng (1725), additional sacrifices were made in the middle months of spring and autumn. Yongzhou Wumiao has five bays and five openings, with a vermilion platform featuring high-relief carvings of five dragons holding pearls, with scales, claws, and bones vividly presented and finely crafted. In front of the main hall, there are four blue stone dragon and phoenix pillars, with male and female coiled dragons spiraling down from above, as if they are about to take flight, a unique treasure in the world. The main hall of the Wumiao faces west, with a width of five bays and a depth of three bays. The architecture features a double-eaved Xieshan-style high platform with a fenced enclosure, red walls, and green tiles, with high-flying wing corners. A treasure gourd is erected in the center of the main hall, with large beast masks installed at both ends, and fish-shaped masks on the other eave corners. Wind boards and hanging fish are placed on the two slopes. The Xiangdian has a double-layered Xieshan roof, also known as the Nine-Ridge Hall. In 2013, the Lingling Wenwu and Shuang Temples were listed as national key cultural relics protection units. The martial spirit of Yongzhou has been elevated through generations of sacrificial ceremonies, with generations of outstanding military leaders from Yongzhou active on the historical stage of the Chinese nation. Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army suppressed the Taiping Rebellion and participated in wars such as the recapture of Xinjiang, the Sino-French War, and the First Sino-Japanese War. Xintian's Wen Zhang Rongzu and Wu Xiao Rongfang were honored with the title 'Brave Batulu'. Dong'an martial arts originated from the Emei Fist of the Three Kingdoms period and has a development history of more than 1700 years.