Travel in China： MartialMarquis Memorial Temple武侯祠

Martial(武术wǔshù) Marquis(侯爵hóujué) Memorial(纪念馆jìniàn ɡuǎn) Temple is dedicated to Zhugeliang, the Martial Marquis of Shu in the Three Kingdoms Period.Liang was the personification of noble character and intelligence. Memorial temples erected in many places after his death include a famous one in Chengdu.成都武侯祠，位于四川省成都市南门武侯祠大街，肇始于公元223年修建刘备惠陵时，它是中国唯一一座君臣合祀祠庙和最负盛名的诸葛亮、刘备及蜀汉英雄纪念地，也是全世界影响最大的三国遗迹博物馆。享有“三国圣地”的美誉。今天，我们就走进成都武侯祠，来领略一下三国的风采。

Located in the south suburb of Chengdu, the temple covers 37,000 square meters (398,277 square feet). The date of its establishment is unclear, only that it was built next to the temple of Liu Bei, the emperor of Shu. It was combined with the Temple of Liu Bei at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty; consequently, the entrance plaque(匾biǎn) reads "Zhaolie Temple of Han Dynasty" ("Zhaolie" is the posthumous(死后的sǐhòu de) title of Liu Bei). The current temple was rebuilt in 1672. Surrounded by old cypresses(柏树bǎishù) and classical red walls, the temple evokes(唤起huànqǐ) nostalgia(怀旧huáijiù).武侯祠坐落于成都的郊区，占地面积三万七千平方米。武侯祠具体的建造时间已无处可考，只是推断其建立在蜀国皇帝刘备陵之后。明朝时期开始与刘备陵合为一处,入口处题匾为“昭烈庙”(“昭烈”是刘备死后的封号)。寺庙于1672年重修，四周种植了大量的古柏，围墙也用古典的红色，整个寺庙充满着一种怀旧的气氛。

The main body of the temple is divided into five sections, the Gate, the second Gate, the Hall of Liu Bei, the corridor(走廊zǒulánɡ), and the Hall of Zhugeliang, all of which run south to north. Inside, clay sculptures(塑像sùxiànɡ) of Shu Emperor and ministers stand together, making them a special feature.武侯祠分为五个部分：大门，第二道门，刘备殿，走廊和诸葛亮殿。所有的景物都是从南到北排列。在武侯祠的内部是特点迥异的刘备和大臣的泥像。

The most valuable cultural relic(遗迹yíjì) within the temple is the stele(石碑shíbēi) set up in 809. This huge stele 367-centimeter (144-inch) high and 95-centimeter (37-inch) wide is called the Triple-Success Stele. The three successes are: an article written by Pei Du, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty who served four emperors in succession, calligraphy(书法shūfǎ) by Liugongquan, one of the most brilliant calligraphers in Chinese history, and a statement about the morality and achievements of Zhugeliang.武侯祠中最重要的文化遗迹就是公元809年建立的石碑。这个名为“三绝碑”的石碑高367公分，宽95公分。唐朝著名宰相裴度撰碑文，书法家柳公绰（柳公权之兄）书写，名匠鲁建刻字，都出自名家，因此被后世称为三绝碑。碑文对诸葛亮的一生，作了重点褒评；竭力赞颂诸葛亮的高风亮节，文治武功，并以此激励唐代的执政者。His great personality, his dedicated service to others, and his outstanding intelligence place Zhugeliang above all emperors, generals, and ministers in history. A visit to the temple illuminates(阐释chǎnshì) his status with the Chinese people.在中国历史中，诸葛亮以他的治世之经无私奉献着他人，以他的聪明才智影响着历代的皇帝、大臣和百姓。纵观武侯祠，诸葛亮以其个人魅力代表了整个中华民族的魅力。武侯祠东侧的锦里由武侯祠博物馆恢复修建，锦里为清末民初建筑风格的古街。它依托武侯祠，扩展了三国文化的外延，并融入川西民风、民俗。三国文化是中国历史文化中最重要的一段，三国时期对中国整个面貌有着巨大的影响，是中国历史上不可缺少的一个重要时期。