Yue Fei
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Statue of Yue Fei, from the Yue Fei Mausoleum in Hangzhou. The four characters on his banner say, Huan wo he shan , or "Give back my rivers and mountains". |
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Yue Fei Memorial Hall |
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Yue Fei's mother writes jīng zhōng bào gúo on his back. |
Yue Fei (; March 17?, 1103 - January 27, 1142) was a Chinese patriot and nationalist military leader who fought for the Southern Song Dynasty against the Jurchen Jin Dynasty. He is one of the best-known generals in Chinese history.
Days after his birth, flooding of the Yellow River destroyed Yue Fei's village. His father drowned in the floods, but not before he had ensured the survival of his wife and son by floating them downstream in a jar. Yue Fei and his mother settled in Hebei province. Becoming proficient in warfare at an early age, Yue Fei as a young man narrowly escaped execution after killing the Prince of Liang in a martial arts tournament. He did not join the fight against the Jurchen invaders until he was 23.
According to the legend, Yue Fei's mother tattooed four characters () which mean "serve the country loyally" on his back before he left home. This statement was seen as a program for the remainder of his life.
As a valiant and tactically astute general, Yue Fei led many successful campaigns against the forces of the Jin Dynasty. Taking advantage of the difficulties which his opponents' cavalry experienced in the hilly terrain of Southern China, he was able to score victories although his troops were frequently outnumbered. His forces succeeded in regaining territory south of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. However, his attempt to recoupe the northern lands lost by the Southern Song Dynasty was opposed by officials who believed further warfare would prove too costly. This desire is reflected in his most famous poem (Yueh Fei was also a renowned poet) Manjiang Hong (滿江紅, or The Bloody River).
Eventually, corrupt officials, the most famous being Qin Hui (秦檜), a traitor, persuaded the Emperor Gaozong to recall Yue Fei to the capital with twelve golden pieces (representing the emperor's authority) just as he was about to attack the capital of the Jin Dynasty and win the war. It was his blind loyalty that drove him to fight for China, but also to obey the emperor without question, even when he knew it would be his death, and all his efforts in warfare would be wasted.
He and his son, Yue Yun, were sentenced to death and executed on charges that were "Not Necessarily There" (). The phrase has entered the Chinese language as an expression to refer to fabricated charges.
Legend has it those who plotted to have Yue Fei executed were haunted by his ghost and driven to commit suicide.
Today, he is revered as one of the great symbols of patriotism and a national hero in China; Manjiang Hong is well-read and is known throughout China and Chinese people around the world, and his mausoleum in Hangzhou is well-visited.
Also to create a patriotic feeling for China the Chinese government issue all primary school to read and study at least one text about Yue Fei story.
Several martial arts have been attributed to Yue Fei, including Eagle Claw, Xingyiquan, Fanziquan, and Chuojiao, among others.
Zi: Peng Ju (鵬舉) Posthumous name: Wu Mu (武穆)
* The Most Famous Tattoo in Chinese History -
Jing Zhong Bao Guo
