Guanlin Temple

关林

A mausoleum temple where Guan Yu’s severed head is buried. Its name “Lin” reflects the imperial grave rank, and it is the ancestral temple of Guan Yu worship at home and abroad, with Ming and Qing architecture and ancient cypress trees.

Guanlin is in Guanlin Town, Luolong District. It is the burial place of Guan Yu’s head, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms period. The site was first established at the end of the Han dynasty, the temple was built in the Wanli era of the Ming, and it was expanded in the Qing. Because Guan Yu was posthumously elevated to emperor by successive dynasties, his tomb and the Kong Forest were both called “Lin.” Guanlin is the only temple in China that combines the tomb, temple, and forest in one site dedicated to Guan Yu.

Along the central axis are, in order: a dance stage, the main gate, the ceremonial gate, a stone lion-lined path (the 104 Ming-dynasty stone lions are all different and are a major highlight), the worship hall, the main hall, the second hall, the third hall, and finally the Guan tomb. In front of the tomb are a stone archway and a stele pavilion, and the grounds are covered with ancient cypress trees.

Guanlin is the ancestral temple of Guan Yu worship worldwide, and temple visitors from China and abroad come every year. There are temple fairs during the lunar new year and on Guan Yu’s birthday. Nearby, the Luoyang Ancient Art Museum (formerly the Guanlin Stele Museum) holds stone inscriptions from many dynasties. Admission is about 40 yuan, and a visit takes about 1 hour. It is reachable by Metro Line 2 (Guanlin Station) or bus. It is in the same district as the Luoyang Museum, so you can plan a half-day visit.

Tips: Incense burning is heavy in the main hall, so take care with fire safety. Please do not climb on the stone lions along the path.

Guanlin Temple

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