Ma Yuan

Ma Yuan was a celebrated general of the Eastern Han dynasty. Emperor Guangwu appointed him General Fubo and dispatched him south to quell the rebellion led by the Trưng Sisters in Jiaozhi (present-day northern Vietnam), where he erected bronze pillars to mark the Han dynasty’s southern frontier. He also served as garrison commander in Longxi, and it was he who famously declared, 'I would rather have my body wrapped in horsehide on the battlefield than die peacefully in bed.' The military and civilian populations of Lingnan, profoundly grateful for his role in restoring order and securing peace, erected numerous temples in his honor. The Fubo Temple in Hengxian County, Guangxi, is the most renowned among them—its incense has burned continuously for over a millennium. Locals believe Ma Yuan possesses the power to calm turbulent seas and protect vessels; thus, all boatmen traveling along the Yu River pay homage there. Fubo temples and shrines also exist in Hunan and Hainan provinces. In former times, travelers crossing the Qiongzhou Strait southward routinely prayed to General Fubo for protection, establishing him as a pivotal guardian deity of Lingnan and the South China Sea maritime frontier.