The second of Mount Tianshan: Duke Guan cultural legacy in Barkol
Crossing the Tianshan Mountain from Hami, arrived in Barkol Kazak Autonomous County by driving over 70 km to the westbound along the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain. Here, 570 km from Urumqi in the west, the capital of Xinjiang, over 170 km from Mongolia in the north, the end of the streets of Barkol County in the south is the snowy peaks of Tianshan mountain conterminous with sky. “The Tianshan snow, the charm of the ancient city " is the promotion word of Barkol government in recent years.
In the end of the streets of Barkol County is the lofty Tianshan Mountains
The Barkol’s temple of Guan Yu and the snowy peaks of Tianshan were shining upon with each other
The audience hall of Barkol Wusheng temple
The blessing tree in front of Wu Sheng temple was hanging the wishes of Han, Tibet and Mongol Nationalities
Photographer--Zhu Zhengming was giving Guan Gong Thang-ka to Bai Wen (left), vice- minister of United Front Work Department of Barkol County, Jiang Xiaoliang (middle), director of Cultural Relics Bureau
The plaque retained by Shanxi temple in the Qing Dynasty was collected in the County Bureau of Cultural Relics
The stone lions of Shanxi temple in the Qing Dynasty were stored in the Cultural Relics Bureau of Barkol
In Barkol, I visited Jiang Xiaoliang, director of County Cultural Relics Bureau of Barkol, he introduced about Barkol Guandi culture and customs to us in his office at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. There were many monuments in Barkol, such as the national key cultural relic historic protected site, Dahe ancient Tangcheng site with nearly 1,300-year-old, there were hundreds of all kinds of temples before, so it was called “Temples across the entire Xinjiang”. In the Qing Dynasty, there were 11 big and small temples of Guan Yu, named Laoye temple, Guan and Yue temple, Shanxi temple and Shaanxi temple. Today, two large plaques of Shanxi temple in the twelfth year of Qianlong Emperor and the third year of Xianfeng Emperor in the Qing Dynasty were still hanging in the hall behind the Bureau of Cultural Relics.
A Wusheng temple was restored in Jizo temple groups at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the hall was consecrated with Guan Gong, Guan Ping and Zhou Cang, in the front of the shrine were the lotus and Hada presented by the Tibetan, Han and Mongolian people. The two sides of hall were painted Guan Gong stories. The cornice brackets of Wusheng temple was shining upon with snowy peaks of Tianshan Mountains, very spectacular!
There was a big blessing tree in front of Wu Sheng temple, Han’s red praying stripes, colorful Tibetan prayer flags, Mongolian color Hadas were flipping up and down in the breeze blowing from Tianshan Mountains, and prayed for the harmonious development of the north and south of the Tianshan Mountain.
The seasonal port of Barkol - Laoyemiao Port is one of the important trading ports between Xinjiang and Mongolia. The name of "Laoyemiao” was named because a temple of Guan Yu was built in the port in the Qing Dynasty. Now the temple does not exist but the fame still be known.