Whether it was really by accident or simply out of respect for the spin-to-win hero from LoL is unclear.
As Shanghaiist reports, interesting scenes unfolded in front of an internet café in China. There, an elderly woman kneeled before a statue, began to pray, and even burned incense for this purpose. So far, that all sounds normal and not particularly unusual – however, she probably didn’t realize that she was not paying homage to an old Chinese general but rather to a hero from a completely new era.
She probably confused Lord Guan Yu with the LoL hero
Lord Guan Yu was a Chinese general under Liu Bei, who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and is still considered one of the most famous figures in Chinese history. Worship of him began around 400 years after his death and is still practiced today. He is regarded as a patron of those who adhere to the code of righteousness and brotherhood.
The figure of the League of Legends hero “Garen” standing in front of an internet café seemingly reminded the woman very much of Guan Yu. For she knelt there and spoke her prayers. Whether she noticed that she was worshipping the wrong “god” is unclear – hopefully, the praying nonetheless served its purpose.
By the way: “Guan Yu” has also achieved fame in video games. He appears in strategy titles like “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” or action brawlers like Dynasty Warriors, as well as in SMITE – but it is teeming with gods there.
