Guan Yu is a significant figure from the late Eastern Han dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms period, the world was divided, with the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu vying for control over the Central Plains, leading to continuous battles year after year.
Although this era lasted only 60 years in history, it was a time of great heroes, with smoke and fire engulfing the land. The circumstances of the time created heroes, and in this chaotic era of warfare, military generals were the key to the success of the powers of that time.
Guan Yu served under Liu Bei and is considered the second most powerful general of the Three Kingdoms period, only after Lü Bu.
Guan Yu not only forged a brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei but also took on the heavy responsibility of restoring the Han dynasty. With his talents, even after being defeated by Cao Cao, he was still respected by his adversaries.
In history, Guan Yu embodies loyalty and righteousness; “Loyalty, Trustworthiness, Righteousness, and Valor” are the noble terms that later generations use to describe this martial figure.
Subsequent emperors of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties have conferred titles upon him multiple times.
During the Song dynasty, Emperor Huizong conferred upon Guan Yu the titles of “Zhonghui Gong” and “Wuhan Wang.”
In the 42nd year of the Wanli era, Emperor Shenzong of the Ming dynasty even conferred upon him the title “San Jie Fu Gui Da Di Shen Wei Yuan Zhen Tian Zun Guan Sheng Di Jun.” This posthumous title bestowed a divine aura upon this historical figure, transcending the realm of humanity.
By the time of the Qing dynasty, Emperor Kangxi conferred upon Guan Yu the title of “Martial Saint,” placing him alongside “Literary Saint” Confucius, illustrating his immense influence on later generations.
With numerous posthumous titles and the reverence of future generations, the image of Guan Yu seems to have become a symbol of divinity.
Throughout the feudal eras, sculptures, paintings, and even toys related to Guan Yu have appeared in many places for people to admire.
In popular culture, there are even individuals who tattoo images of Guan Yu on their bodies, hoping to receive blessings and seek peace, while also reminding themselves to always remember the words “loyalty and righteousness.”
However, when tattooing Guan Yu, people only tattoo him on the chest, not on the back, and in most cases, they depict him with his eyes closed rather than open.
Moreover, in popular depictions, regardless of the statue or who carved it, they all share a common feature: both eyes are closed, with no statue depicting him with open eyes.
But why is this the case?
According to carpenters, the answer is relatively hard to believe: “No one dares to carve a statue of Guan Yu with his eyes wide open.” Why is that? Ultimately, what mystery lies behind this?
QQ News (China) provides four reasons to explain this phenomenon.
Many believe that if his eyes were open, the heavy aura of death would not be good.
First: If Guan Yu’s statue has open eyes, the heavy aura of death will negatively affect his image
Guan Yu’s life is closely tied to bloody battles, with killing being a daily occurrence. In the past, his name was associated with remarkable military achievements that few could match. Guan Yu took the lives of Cheng Zhi Yuan, Guan Hai, and generals of Yuan Shao like Yan Liang and Wen Xu, beheading Yang Ling in the Battle of Changsha, and crossing five passes to slay six generals like Bian Xi and Wang Zhuo…
Just counting the generals, there were more than thirty, not to mention the countless nameless soldiers he killed on the battlefield.
Guan Yu followed Liu Bei for over 30 years, with almost monthly battles; on the battlefield, it was a matter of kill or be killed, with no room for compromise. Living in a context where the blade was always stained with blood, the number of people who died by Guan Yu’s hand was indeed countless.
Over time, it is natural that the gaze of this martial general would be filled with the aura of death, which one would surely sense from a close distance.
Meanwhile, later generations carved Guan Yu’s statue with the purpose of seeking peace; if his eyes were wide open, the heavy aura of death would naturally not be good, and it would also affect his image.
Second reason: Guan Yu spent many years reading, leading to nearsightedness
Guan Yu had a habit of squinting. According to legend, not only was Guan Yu brave and astonishing, but he also loved reading, making him a well-rounded individual.
Born in a time of turmoil, he fought battles during the day and only had time to read at night. In ancient times, there was only dim oil lamp light, so reading in a poorly lit environment for extended periods would naturally affect his eyesight.
Moreover, before meeting Liu Bei, Guan Yu made a living selling red dates. Red dates are not easy to preserve and cannot be sold once the season is over or the following year. At that time, almost every household grew red date trees, allowing people to be self-sufficient, making Guan Yu’s business quite challenging.
With financial difficulties, even affording oil for lighting was a problem; he could not light lamps to read regularly, and his habit of reading without sufficient light led to eye problems, causing him to often squint when looking at others.
However, this is merely speculation based on folk tales.
Third reason: Guan Yu’s open eyes would lead to killing
It is believed that Guan Yu would kill when he opened his eyes.
In his youth, Guan Yu killed a tyrant who oppressed him. After following Liu Bei, he killed countless others.
According to popular belief, the souls of those wronged linger before him daily, which is why Guan Yu must close his eyes to regain tranquility in his soul.
It is believed that whenever Guan Yu opened his eyes, he would kill, so sculpting a Guan Yu with open eyes would bring unease and disaster to the owner of the statue.
Fourth reason: It is very difficult to depict the eyes
According to ancient Chinese beliefs, sculptors of divine figures do not dare to depict the eyes unless guided by a high monk; otherwise, it could bring disaster to the portrait artist. This belief has been recorded in the book “Records of Famous Painters Throughout History” by Zhang Yan Yuan of the Tang dynasty.
Legend has it that during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, a painter named Zhang Zang Yao was very skilled at painting dragons. He was invited by the Ling An Temple to paint four dragons on the temple walls to pray for peace.
The four dragons were painted vividly, but all lacked eyes. This single flaw displeased the monks, who believed that a dragon must have eyes; otherwise, it would become a disabled dragon and bring no benefit.
So, the painter Zhang proceeded to paint eyes for two of the dragons. Unexpectedly, at that moment, a storm rolled in, with thunder and lightning crashing down. The two dragons that had just been given eyes immediately flew into the sky, circling the temple roof before disappearing into the storm clouds.
The monks in the temple were horrified, leaving only two dragons without eyes on the wall.
This anecdote illustrates the belief that when depicting divine beings, one must not casually depict the eyes, or it will lead to disaster.
In the hearts of later generations, Guan Yu is regarded as a saint, which is why no carpenter or artist dares to carve eyes for him.
Conclusion
The image of Guan Yu has been described since ancient times based on oral traditions. Therefore, aside from those who directly met him during his lifetime or his close friends, others can only know of his image through descriptions and the imagination of people.
This is also why the image of Guan Yu varies so greatly across different dynasties. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang dynasty, Guan Yu’s face was depicted as a deep yellow. However, after the Song dynasty, his face changed from deep yellow to red, and during the Qing dynasty, it became black mixed with red. This explains why Guan Yu statues appear differently in various places.
But regardless of how people depict him, in the hearts of later generations, Guan Yu remains a towering symbol of loyalty, bravery, and living for righteousness. These are also the admirable qualities that future generations should aspire to.
