Tomb of Yue Fei (Yuéfeimù)

Tomb of Yue Fei (Yuéfeimù) Review

Near Solitary Hill Island stands the Tomb of Yue Fei, a shrine to honor General Yue Fei (1103-42), who led Song armies against foreign invaders. When he was a young man, his mother tattooed his back with the commandment to "Repay the nation with loyalty." This made Yue Fei a hero of both patriotic loyalty and filial piety. At the height of his success, a jealous rival convinced the emperor to have Yue Fei executed. A subsequent leader pardoned the warrior and enshrined him as a national hero. Statues of Yue Fei's accusers kneel in shame nearby. Traditionally, visitors would spit on statues of the traitors, but a recent sign near the statue asks them to glare instead.