YUE FEI TEMPLE

Yue Fei (1103-1141) was a general of the Song dynasty under the invasion of the Jin, a Northern tribe. His mission was to arrest rebel troops who had already taken the capital of Song, Kaifeng in Henan. Qin Hui, the Prime Minister of Song, jealous of the general success of the general, was responsible for the immediate return of Yue Fei to Hangzhou, where the court was repliée. The emperor executed Yue Fei, falsely accused of treason. In 1163, Emperor Xiao Zong the restored and built his tomb. Yue Fei was déifié and proclaimed national hero. In 1221, a temple was built in honour. The current structure dates back to 1923.

The main hall houses a statue of the hero with an inscription of his hand: " Regain our lost territories ". Its tomb is in the west, the Loyal Cypress Pavilion is the entrance. According to legend, a cypress on the execution site waning after the death of the hero. Therefore, a popular belief wanted the tree to be the embodiment of Yue Fei. In the courtyard linking the main building to the tomb, the four large Chinese characters mean: " Be loyal to your country. " In this court, a collection of stelas representing poems from Yue Fei and great Chinese poets. A small bridge, then a boardwalk flanked by statues leads to the mausoleum. The tomb of the son of Yue Fei, executed at the same time, parallels that of his father. Chinese tourists clashed against the statues of the conspirators at Yue Fei, nicknamed «the band of the four Song dynasty. '»»»»