Guan Ping

Guan Ping (died 220) was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern 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 (麦城, southeast of present-day Dangyang, Hubei) by the forces of Sun Quan in 220. They were executed in Linju (臨沮; in present-day Nanzhang County, Xiangyang, Hubei) later.

Since the deification of Guan Yu in the Sui dynasty, Guan Ping and Zhou Cang (sometimes including Liao Hua) 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.

In fiction

Guan Ping appears in the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. He is the second son of Guan Ding (關定), a farmer. His elder brother is Guan Ning (關寧). Guan Yu encounters Guan Ding and his family during his journey across five passes to find Liu Bei. He is so impressed with Guan Ping on first sight that he accepts him as his foster son. During the Battle of Runan, Guan Ping, Guan Yu and Zhou Cang lead 300 men to rescue Liu Bei, who is under attack by Cao Cao's general Zhang He.