Guan Yu Shrine

Guan Yu Shrine China Town Bangkok

* The Guan Yu Shrine China Town Bangkok is interesting, not for the shabby temple site and the fact you can not take pictures inside, but to see Chinese people worshipping the image of a red faced warrior of some 1,800 years ago and his horse.
* This Chinese diety can be found all over Asia. A good example and one where pictures of Guan Yu can be taken is at Wat Phanan Choeng in Ayutthaya.
* In China Town Bangkok people pay money to buy quality fresh vegetables to feed the horse statue and there is much ritual and noise associated with the offering. The Thais are animists and also worship the teachings of Buddha and the dieties of the Hindu religion. However the traditional Chinese in Thailand have their own list of '' Gods ''. The most popular in Bangkok is Guan Yin but often images of the red faced warrior appear in shops and temple complexes.


History of Chinese Diety Guan Yu

* Guan Yu lived 1900 years ago and was a general in the service of Warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Guan Yu played a key role in the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the making of the Shu Kingdom and Liu Bei as first Emperor. Later he was immortalized in the ancient novel, Romance of The Three Kingdoms, was symbolised in Chinese operas and more recently movies and electronic games.


Chinese worship of Guan Yu as a '' God ''

* For Chinese Buddhists Guan Yu is a protector of Buddhist monastreries and places of worship. It also extends to protector of the faith. Thus his staue and Images of his horse can be seen in Buddhist temples in Thailand frequented by Chinese ethnic communities. A good example of this can be seen at Wat Phanan Choeng in Ayutthaya where a Chinese community has worshipped at this buddhist temple for in excess of 300 years.
* In Chinese Taoist beliefs Guan Yu is a subduer of demons and regarded as a saint. Taoists have worshiped Guan Yu since the Song Dynasty.