Foreigners glance at 1,000 years of Shanxi

His legacy of loyalty, integrity, mercy and bravery — as depicted in China's classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms — has earned him deity status in traditional Chinese culture.

The Haizhou Guandi Temple, initially built during the Sui Dynasty (581-618), is the earliest, largest, highest-grade, and best-preserved Guan Gong temple still standing in China.

"I've seen many Guandi Temples in Africa, but now I've finally visited the ancestral temple of all Guandi Temples," said Oluwabunmi Henry Jimoh, a blogger from Nigeria.

"I've also memorized the sacred teaching of Lord Guan — reading good books, speaking good words, doing good deeds, and being a good person — I will bring the stories from here back to Nigeria," he added.

Irish blogger Luke O'Farrell said that Guandi Temple and the spirit of loyalty and righteousness it embodies bring him a genuine understanding of the cultural roots of China.