From Guan Gong to the Long March: An American youth's view on 'righteousness'

An American youth who has been immersed in Chinese culture from his childhood shared his inextricable bond with Guan Gong and his view on the spirit of loyalty and righteousness during an activity in Yuncheng, North China's Shanxi province.

Guan Gong, also known as Guandi, or Emperor Guan, is the honorific title of Guan Yu, a general from the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) who is revered as a symbol of loyalty and righteousness.

Dylan Walker, from the United States and an employee at China Daily Youth Channel, said that it was an extraordinary and wonderful coincidence for him to discuss the spirit in the hometown of Guan Gong.

According to him, he started learning about China and learning simple Chinese phrases since he was 5 years old, and befriended a Chinese-American boy while living in Massachusetts, the United States.

When it comes to Guan Gong, Walker says his initial impressions were rather vague. His first encounter was with a statue of Guan Gong at his friend's familyrun Chinese restaurant.

After coming to China and joining China Daily, Walker came to realize that the Chinese cuisine he had previously enjoyed was far from authentic. However, the more he learned about Guan Gong, the more profound the spirit of loyalty and righteousness became to him.

Back in 2024, Walker had the chance to interview Wu Lingyun, a renowned Jin Opera performer who has portrayed Guan Gong for nearly four decades and is hailed as the "Living Guan Gong of Jin Opera", while filming the program "Not Only About Us" in Taiyuan, Shanxi province.

At the Guandi Temple, Wu Lingyu recounted Guan Gong's history and spirit, with "loyalty" and "righteousness" being the recurring themes, while Walker and the film crew listened intently.

Dylan Walker even had the honor of dressing up as Guan Gong and learning some of his iconic moves. Standing there, Walker truly grasped the weight of the words "loyalty and righteousness" for the first time.

This experience led him to ponder the reason that Guan Gong is universally recognized among Chinese people worldwide. In Chinese communities in the United States, Guan Gong holds a unique and revered position.

Chinese people of different generations and origins may have varying language habits, lifestyles, and perspectives, but when they step into the Guandi Temple and stand before Guan Gong's statue, a shared sense of reverence fills their hearts.

Because Guan Gong does not symbolize a particular stance, but something more fundamental and universal: righteousness, loyalty, integrity, and benevolence. Regardless of one's background, being trustworthy, honoring commitments, and standing by friends are values universally acknowledged and cherished.

Walker resolved to follow Edgar Snow's footsteps and share the real China with the world as he said he was profoundly impacted by "Red Star Over China" in revealing the Red Army's arduous journey to preserve the seeds of the Chinese revolution.

This year, Walker retraced parts of the Long March route. Standing at those mountain passes and river crossings, he often wondered the significance of the Long March for today's youth who are at a time when China is marching forward on the path to becoming a great modern socialist country in all respects.

"The answer is clear: to press forward even in the face of insurmountable odds," he said.

The essence of Guan Gong culture and the Long March spirit converges in addressing a fundamental question: What choice do you make when the path ahead is fraught with challenges?

Guan Gong embarked on a lone journey spanning a thousand li (a Chinese unit of measurement equal to 500 meters) to reunite with his sworn elder brother, driven by a sense of "righteousness"; the Red Army travelled thousands of li, also motivated by "righteousness", for the noble cause of seeking happiness for all the people.

Walker said that from Guan Gong's lone journey, to the Long March, and to his own journey from the US to China, these experiences have convinced him that loyalty and righteousness are not relics of the past, but guiding principles for the future.

"Loyalty and Honor Without Borders", a global online outreach campaign on Guan Gong culture, ran from Sept 20 to 23 in Shanxi province, attracting content creators from six countries, as well as journalists from Chinese and foreign media outlets.

Hosted jointly by the Cyberspace Administration of Shanxi province, China Daily Website and the Yuncheng municipal government, the campaign featured immersive cultural experiences across Taiyuan, Pingyao and Yuncheng.