都城隍庙

This guide to Guangzhou's Metropolitan City God Temple centers on Liu Yan, the tenth-century Southern Han king enshrined on its altar, and the list chroniclers left of his cruelties toward anyone who crossed him, from mutilation to a punishment he called the water prison. It asks why a city would worship such a man as its guardian spirit for six centuries, and follows the temple through road crews, a garment factory, and even a karaoke bar before its 2010 restoration. Notice who Liu Yan is seated beside on the altar.