明朝抗倭援朝战争期间,明朝将领在朝鲜半岛建造了关王庙,自此关王崇拜在朝鲜半岛生根发芽。此前,朝鲜半岛并无关庙,《三国演义》的传播与朝鲜的关王崇拜并无关系。尽管战后朝鲜百废待兴,但还是用三年时间将东关王庙建成,成为朝鲜关王庙的典范。随着国内外形势的变化,朝鲜国王由漠视关王庙变得热衷参拜关王庙。肃宗年间修缮全国各地的关王庙,并将祭祀仪式统一化、标准化,把明朝将领作为关王庙从祀的对象。从此,关王庙就成为朝鲜尊周思明活动的一个重要组成部分,受到朝鲜君臣的一致重视,成为朝鲜宣示正统的一个重要场所。19世纪以后,因为官方的倡导,朝鲜关王崇拜也由庙堂走向民间,关王崇拜本土化、关王形象则“韩国化”了。正因为关王庙被朝鲜不断地加入新的内涵,“刻划”新的标志,才被朝鲜王朝接受,并逐步演变而本土化了。
During the War of Assistance to Korea for Resistance against Japanese Aggression,marshals and generals of Ming Dynasty built a temple of God of Guan Yu in the Korean Peninsula,which initiated the genesis of worship on God of Guan Yu in Korean Peninsula.There had been no such temple on the whole Korean Peninsula before that.This first temple of God of Guan Yu was erected in only three years and became the prototype for all of such worship in Korea ever since,although austerity prevailed in Korea for its war against Japanese.Influenced by the change of situation,kings of Korea no longer turned a blind eye on such worship,and started to join in such worship enthusiastically.In the reign of King of Su Zong,the court of Korea mended such temples all over the country and unified the activities of such worship into solemn official ceremonies with strict procedures,inscribing titles of marshals and generals of Ming Dynasty onto memorial tablets in such temples.Since then,temple of God of Guan Yu was integrated into the whole system of official ceremonies of Joseon Dynasty for its worship and reverence of Zhou and Ming Dynasties.Universally revered by both officials and commoners of Korea,temple of God of Guan Yu thus began to be regarded as an important place for Korean people to show their legitimacy as real inheritor and implementer of Confucianism.Since early 19th century,Korean worship of God of Guan Yu was localized and pervaded into daily life,and the image of God of Guan Yu was modified to fit for Korean aesthetics,due to official advocacy and promotion.It is because temple of God of Guan Yu was enriched by pure Korean elements and modified by new symbols that it was accepted by the court of Joseon Dynasty and experienced a process of localized evolution.