General of the Three Kingdoms era who served 刘备. In 三国演义 he is the red-faced, long-bearded sworn brother of 刘备 and 张飞, a model of loyalty, and he is worshipped as the god 关公.
Literally 'closing feather' or 'related feather'. There are different interpretations of the name's meaning, but it is often associated with strength and protection.
Guān Yǔ shì Zhōngguó lìshǐ shàng zhùmíng de jiànglǐng.
Guan Yu is a famous general in Chinese history.
Tips
culture
Two set phrases come from his story: 过五关斩六将, 'pass five gates and slay six generals', for overcoming obstacle after obstacle, and 走麦城, 'retreat to Maicheng', where he was cornered before his death, for a fall into disaster.
usage
To show off before an expert is 关公面前耍大刀, 'swinging a broadsword in front of Guan Gong'. In the novel his own blade is the 青龙偃月刀, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
