Kwan Yu
Kwan Yu was born in Shantung province circa 161AD and enlisted into the imperial Chinese army in his early 20's. He quickly became a general of great renown. Trusted by the emperor, he was often depicted with a fierce expression and rosy cheeks. A model of military prowess and virtues, he became known as the "God of Righteousness" achieving deity status circa 1100AD.
He is seen as a taoist symbol of integrity and loyality and the "patron saint" of Chinese martial arts practitioners. He is most commonly associated with his trademark long beard and weapon which was subsequently named in his honour and is still used today in the practice of Lung Ying - the Kwan Dao, a long weapon with distinctive blade.

There are numerous temples dedicated to him and a shrine to him has pride of place in any Kung Fu Kwoon (training hall)
More information