or Kuan Yü or Guan Di
died 219
Military hero of the Three Kingdoms era (3rd century AD) who started his career as the bodyguard of Liu Bei, the founder of one of the three kingdoms.
He was captured and executed but his fame and popularity continued to grow. China's rulers conferred ever greater titles on him until in 1594 he was canonized as Guan Di, god of war and protector of China. Thousands of temples were constructed in his honor. His cult spread to Korea in the 17th century, where it was believed that he saved the country from Japanese invasion.