Yue Fei is among the most celebrated generals in Chinese history, remembered for his loyalty and patriotism. His life unfolded during one of the most turbulent eras of the Southern Song dynasty, when northern China had fallen to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty, and the Chinese court struggled to defend what remained of its realm.
Yue Fei was born in 1103 in Tangyin County, Henan Province, during the final decades of the Northern Song dynasty. His childhood coincided with a period of cultural flourishing but political decline. The Song court, though rich in art and learning, had grown militarily weak. The empire’s northern neighbours, the Jurchen tribes of Manchuria, were on the rise, and by the early twelfth century they had established the powerful Jin dynasty.
Statue of Yue Fei at his mausoleum. Credit: Gary Todd
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