Yue Fei A peerless general and national hero

3 min read

Cinese people believe that eventful times usually would bring forth heroes.It’s certainly true when the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty invaded the northern territory of China in the early years of the last millennium.

The invasion had not only marked the end of the NorthernSong Dynasty（960-1127）and the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty（1127-1279），but also generated Yue Fei，a great patriotic general and national hero.

Yue Fei was born to a farmer’s family in Tangyin of to-day’s He’nan Province.According to legends，when he was born，a large，sacred bird descended on the roof of his parents’ house.Therefore，his father gave the newly born baby the giv-en name”Fei，”meaning”to fly”or”flight.”It also implied the baby would achieve great things when he grew up.

As a child，Yue loved military classics and practiced all types of martial arts.Later，he became extremely skilled in archery, boxing and spear-fighting, thanks to training from famous masters such as Zhou Tong and Chen Guang.

Yue first joined the army when he was 19. He quit soon after and returned to his home because his father had died.

According to the local custom, one had to resign and observe a three-year mourning ritual when a parent died.

However, he had to cut short his bereavement because he was called back to the army after the Jin Dynasty invaded the northern territory of the country in 1125.

Before leaving, Yue’s mother tattooed four Chinese characters”Jing Zhong Bao Guo,”meaning “Serve the Coun-try with Utmost Loyalty,”on his back. It became his motto for the rest of his life.

According to history books, Yue fought 126 battles as a military leader and won them all. He launched dozens of suc-cessful offensives into the territory occupied by the Jin Dy-nasty and also quelled a number of rebellions in areas con-trolled by the Song Dynasty. His military success ensured the survival of the Southern Song regime.

But, most of Yue’s achievements had come to no avail because of fierce internal political strife in the imperial court.

In 1142, when Yue was ready to launch a decisive cam-paign to recapture the former capital of Song, the emperor, following the ill advice of Qin Hui,a venal official, ordered Yue to stop the offensive and summoned him back to the new capital.

The emperor was told that if Yue defeated the Jin army again, the Jin Dynasty could be forced to release his predeces-sor, whom they captured when they conquered the Northern Song, thus threatening his status as the incumbent ruler.

After Yue came to Hangzhou, the capital of the Southern Song, he was jailed and soon after, executed on false charges of treason. Yue was only 39.

It was not until more than 25 years later that Yue wasexonerated and granted the posthumous name of Wumu and the title of Prince of E by a new emperor.

In 1221,a temple was built near West Lake in Hangzhou to honor the national hero. And Yue’s mausoleum was located inside the temple. The temple was later rebuilt several times, but the tomb, statues and sculptures there all date back to the 13th century.

Today, thousands of Chinese visit the temple every year to pay respect to the patriotic general and national hero.

In addition to his exceptional military skills, Yue was also known for his calligraphy and writing. Copies of his hand-writing of the four Chinese characters”Huan Wo He Shan”or “Return My Rivers and Mountains”can still be seen in many places around China.

And many people, including children, in the country can still recite his famous patriotic poem to the tune of “Man Jiang Hong”or”All Are Red in the Rivers.”