2025 Guan Gong Cultural Tourism Festival kicks off
2025-09-27 20:09:09
By Hu Yikai.
The 2025 Guan Gong Cultural Tourism Festival opened at Guanling in Dangyang of Yichang City, on September 27. Guests from across the Taiwan Strait, representatives of overseas Guan Gong temples, descendants of Guan Yu’s family, scholars, and an audience of over 1,000 gathered at Guanling for the ceremony.
Guan Yu (also known as Guan Gong) is celebrated for his bravery, loyalty, and honor. He is often depicted as a powerful warrior wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a weapon said to cut through mountains and rivers. After his death in 199 AD, Guan Yu became a revered figure in Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, worshipped by millions as a saint and protector.
His tomb in Dangyang, known as Guanling, is one of China’s three major Guan temples, alongside sites in Henan and Shanxi provinces. It is the only one built to the standards of an imperial tomb.
Each autumn, Dangyang hosts a grand ceremony to honor Guan Gong’s cultural heritage, highlighting the spirit of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, courage, propriety, wisdom, and trust that Guan Yu embodied.
Peking opera performances about Guan Gong during the ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, episodes of Guan Yu from Shanxi opera, Han opera, and Peking opera were performed on the stage. Robot guides also joined the event to introduce Dangyang's tourism routes and local brands. Guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait offered flowers in tribute to Guan Gong and recited the "Ode to the Martial Sage." Cultural artifacts related to Guan Gong from home and abroad were displayed, showcasing his spirit as a force that transcends regions and unites people.
A robot guide is introducing Dangyang and the culture of Guan Gong.
The festival will run until October 8, featuring eight sub-events, including an opening ceremony, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, travel tours in Dangyang, local shopping festivals, and the homecoming of entrepreneurs born in Hubei Province. These activities focus on three themes: promoting Guan Gong culture, integrating agriculture with tourism, and boosting the local economy.
Looking ahead, Dangyang aims to establish itself as an international research hub for Guan Gong culture and will support the joint nomination of the "Historic Sites of Guan Sheng Culture" across four provinces and six cities for UNESCO World Heritage status.
Photos by Peng Danfeng, Zeng Xiangxi, Wang Yawen, and Fu Yue.
The 2025 Guan Gong Cultural Tourism Festival opened at Guanling in Dangyang of Yichang City, on September 27. Guests from across the Taiwan Strait, representatives of overseas Guan Gong temples, descendants of Guan Yu’s family, scholars, and an audience of over 1,000 gathered at Guanling for the ceremony.
The opening ceremony of the 2025 Guan Gong Cultural Tourism Festival.
Guan Yu (also known as Guan Gong) is celebrated for his bravery, loyalty, and honor. He is often depicted as a powerful warrior wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a weapon said to cut through mountains and rivers. After his death in 199 AD, Guan Yu became a revered figure in Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, worshipped by millions as a saint and protector.
His tomb in Dangyang, known as Guanling, is one of China’s three major Guan temples, alongside sites in Henan and Shanxi provinces. It is the only one built to the standards of an imperial tomb.
Each autumn, Dangyang hosts a grand ceremony to honor Guan Gong’s cultural heritage, highlighting the spirit of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, courage, propriety, wisdom, and trust that Guan Yu embodied.
Peking opera performances about Guan Gong during the ceremony.At the opening ceremony, episodes of Guan Yu from Shanxi opera, Han opera, and Peking opera were performed on the stage. Robot guides also joined the event to introduce Dangyang's tourism routes and local brands. Guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait offered flowers in tribute to Guan Gong and recited the "Ode to the Martial Sage." Cultural artifacts related to Guan Gong from home and abroad were displayed, showcasing his spirit as a force that transcends regions and unites people.
A robot guide is introducing Dangyang and the culture of Guan Gong.The festival will run until October 8, featuring eight sub-events, including an opening ceremony, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, travel tours in Dangyang, local shopping festivals, and the homecoming of entrepreneurs born in Hubei Province. These activities focus on three themes: promoting Guan Gong culture, integrating agriculture with tourism, and boosting the local economy.
Looking ahead, Dangyang aims to establish itself as an international research hub for Guan Gong culture and will support the joint nomination of the "Historic Sites of Guan Sheng Culture" across four provinces and six cities for UNESCO World Heritage status.
Photos by Peng Danfeng, Zeng Xiangxi, Wang Yawen, and Fu Yue.
