April 13, 2009, Monday
At the intersection of Beishan Road and Su Causeway, there is a stretch of red walls that stand out remarkably against the backdrop of lush greenery.
During the late Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin army invaded Central China on a large scale, leading to the fall of the capital. Yue Fei joined the army several times and achieved remarkable victories over the Jin forces. Unfortunately, Emperor Gaozong of Song was incompetent and listened to the treacherous advice of pro-peace faction Prime Minister Qin Hui and other corrupt officials. He recalled Yue Fei from the battlefield with twelve imperial edicts despite his great success and executed him on trumped-up charges at the Pavilion of Storms.
Later, when Emperor Xiaozong ascended the throne, he posthumously exonerated Yue Fei and had him reburied with honor under Xiya Mountain by the West Lake. A temple was built in his memory, which is today's Yue Temple.
15:58 KFC west side of Yue Temple, Beishan Road
The rain continued, so I took a short rest at the KFC next to Yue Temple on Beishan Road. There are two KFC outlets facing each other here, with bright red neon signs that stand out even in the gloomy rainy weather. Despite the downpour, Beishan Road was bustling with people... Facing the light drizzle, I arrived at an open area between the red walls, where the main gate of Yue Temple stood.
In front of the temple entrance, there were couplets inscribed with "Thirty years of fame turns to dust" and "Eight thousand miles of journey under clouds and moon," evoking deep respect for Yue Fei, the famous general who fought against the Jin invaders! The verses were filled with righteous loyalty and patriotic fervor, inspiring admiration and reverence.
16:10 Main Gate of Yue Temple
Upon entering the temple, ancient trees towered within the courtyard. In the center stood the Zhonglie Shrine. Inside, there was a seated sculpture of Yue Fei, his gaze sharp and focused ahead, expressing his yearning to reclaim lost territories and repel the invaders. Above hung a colossal plaque inscribed with Yue Fei's handwriting, "Return my Rivers and Mountains," symbolizing his lifelong aspiration!
To the west of the Zhonglie Shrine lay the Yue Fei Mausoleum. Crossing the stone bridge, four cast-iron kneeling statues could be seen before the mausoleum. They represented the four traitors who wrongfully accused Yue Fei: Qin Hui, Wang Shi, Wan Qi, and Zhang Jun. Naked from the waist up, their hands bound behind them, they knelt perpetually towards Yue Fei's tomb with bowed heads.
These four statues have faced the condemnation of countless visitors year after year. Due to immense public anger, they have been destroyed multiple times throughout history.
On the stone wall, a couplet read, "Green mountains are fortunate to bury loyal bones; white iron is innocent to cast traitorous ministers." Recalling Yue Fei's past achievements in driving the Jin army north of the Yellow River and restoring Central China, it was tragic that Emperor Gaozong, driven by personal motives, listened to slander and recalled Yue Fei, destroying ten years of his efforts. Truly lamentable!
The breakfast delicacy beloved by people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, originally named "Oil-Fried Hui," reflects the common folk's profound hatred for these traitors.
Walking towards the Yue Fei Mausoleum surrounded by stele corridors, ancient cypresses stood solemnly, creating an atmosphere of grave reverence. On either side of the path stood symmetrically arranged stone figures, horses, sheep, and tigers from the Ming Dynasty.
In the middle stood two circular tombs. The central one belonged to Yue Fei, with an epitaph reading "Tomb of Prince Yue E of the Song Dynasty." Beside it was Yue Yun's tomb, with an epitaph stating "Tomb of Prince Yue Yun, Successor of Loyalty of the Song Dynasty." Both Prince Yue E and Successor of Loyalty were posthumously bestowed titles, reflecting how despite their significant contributions, Yue Fei and his son were suspected and excluded, never receiving proper positions or honors during their lifetimes.
There is another historical perspective: After the Jingkang Incident, when Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji was captured and later passed away, his son, Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou, allegedly conspired through Qin Hui to eliminate Yue Fei to meet the demand of Jin Wuzhu, the Jin commander, who insisted on Yue Fei's death as a condition for peace negotiations, in order to reunite with his biological mother Empress Wei.
The charm of history often lies in its complexity...
Yue Fei devoted his entire life to serving his country loyally. His upright national spirit deserves our eternal remembrance, and his patriotism will forever be a model for future generations.
16:50 Yanggong Causeway
After leaving the temple, I headed to the entrance of Quyuan Fenghe on Yanggong Causeway to retrieve my bike and proceeded to Hangzhou's famous food street, Gaoyin Street...
To be continued, more pictures can be found in the photo album of my space...