The green hill is fortunate to be the burial ground of a loyal general; the white iron was innocent to be cast into the statues of traitors.
Mausoleum of General Yuefei is situated at the southern foot of Qixia Hill and the northwest bank of West Lake.
Yuefei, born in 1103, is a great national hero of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) who distinguished himself in battles against northern invaders. During the 12th century, when china was attacked by Jurchen invaders from the north, General Yuefei was commander of the Song armies. His attempt to push north and recover all the lost Chinese territory was opposed, however, by a peace party within the capital headed by the minister Qinhui, who believed that further prosecution of the war would be too costly. Qinhui’s faction proved more influential, and in 1141 Yuefei was recalled to the Song court and imprisoned, later executed after being framed by Qinhui.
In 1163, Song Emperor Gaozong exonerated Yuefei and had his corpse reburied at the present site. In 1221, a memorial temple of Yuefei was built here with statue of Yuefei enshrined inside.
The memorial temple have been destroyed and rebuilt for several times. The present structure was the product of the restoration in 1923. It contains a 4.54-meter-high statue of Yuefei, which was well armed with a sword in the left hand, seeming to prepare for fighting at all time. A calligraphy work of Yuefei reading "return the mountains and rivers to us" is hung on the wall, being a reference to his patriotism and resistance to the Jurchen. In the two side halls of the temple are 120 tablets; the tablets are engraved with Yuefei’s poems as well as eulogies to him by noted figures.
To the right of memorial temple is the mausoleum of Yuefei. Four iron statues: Qinhui and his wife, Zhangjun and Mo Qixie are kneeling in front of the tomb, all cursed and spat by visitors for their guilt. On both side of the tomb are six stone figures, two horses, two tiger and two goats, symbolizing the guards of Yuefei.
Each year, moved by Yuefei’s deeds and encouraged by his spirit, countless people come here to memorialize this patriotic general. |
