Guan Ping

Guan Ping (died 219) was the oldest son of the military general Guan Yu and older brother of Guan Xing. He served under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Little about him could be found in historical records (not even his style name was documented) except that he was captured along with his father west of Maicheng (麦城, southeast of present day Dangyang, Hubei) by the forces of Sun Quan in 220. Both were promptly executed. In the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Guan Ping was said to have been adopted by Guan Yu when he was seventeen (Chapter 28), as his true father requested to have him follow and assist the renowned general. Without a son then, Guan Yu took Guan Ping as his own.

Since the deification of Guan Yu in Sui Dynasty, Guan Ping along with Zhou Cang (sometimes with Liao Hua as well) would often appear at the sides of this revered Chinese deity 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.