Guan Ping

Who was Guan Ping?

Guan Ping was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Han Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Guan Yu. Little about him is documented in historical records except that he was captured along with his father west of Maicheng by the forces of Sun Quan in 220. Both were promptly executed.

Guan Ping appears in the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. In chapter 28, he was adopted by Guan Yu when he was 17 years old because his father requested to have him follow and assist Guan Yu. As Guan Yu did not have any children then, he adopted Guan Ping as his son.

Since the deification of Guan Yu in the Sui Dynasty, Guan Ping and Zhou Cang would often appear at the sides of Guan Yu in statues placed in temples and shrines. In portraits, the trio would often appear together as well. Guan Ping's face is traditionally painted white, is a stark contrast to Zhou Cang's coal black complexion, while Guan Yu's tends to be shades of red.