If you come to the Peaceful Dragon, you may have wondered why, at the beginning of each class, we bow three times to a scroll on the wall of a guy that looks like a chinese version of Santa. Is this idol worship? Was this a past teacher of the school? The short answer is No to both. The picture on the scroll is of a legendary figure in Chinese history named Guan Gong. Guan Gong is a legendary General that represents the embodiment of loyalty, righteousness, and benevolence in Chinese history and mythology.
Guan Gong lived towards the end of the Han Dynasty in China. He is famous for making a brotherhood pact with Lui Bei and Zhang Fei who looked to reinstate the Han Dynasty from the warlords trying to come to power. The pact between these brothers symbolizes the true bonds of friends that look after each other in hardship. In his battles, he was known to disarm and then free the survivors of an opposing army so that they could return home to their families and lead peaceful lives, showing his benevolence. Unfortunately Guan gong is reported to have been captured and then beheaded during the battle with the Wu forces.
Even though Guan Gong was a real person, his legend has far surpassed him. Most likely his brutal death set Guan Gong as the beloved martyred hero in history. Many chinese view him as an amalgamation of great wisdom, charity, and even warfare. So when we bow to his depiction at the beginning of class it is out of respect of what he represents, but not of him. It is interesting to learn about Guan Gong and what he represents. His depiction changes depending the artist, which can provide an insight of that particular artist's period and interest in Guan Gong.
If you find out anything interesting about Guan Gong, feel free to post a reply.
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