The Relocation of General Zhang’Fei Temple

Abstract

The relocation of General Zhang Fei’s Temple is the biggest monument conservation event in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project along the Yangtze River in China, which is well-known as the second largest relocation of ancient building complex after the founding of New China. Zhang Fei’s Temple is a group of magnificent buildings of Qing dynasty (1644‒1911) constructed in memory of General Zhang Fei in the Han dynasty (206 BCE‒220 CE), which was built using traditional techniques and decorations that existed in ancient south-western China. This article reviews its outstanding values and the whole process of relocation. It also discusses the Temple’s authenticity in its historical setting, which became the key point on how to relocate the Temple. In the end, the article shares some thoughts about the problems reflected in the relocation process.