I revisited the King Yue's Temple (Yue E Wang Miao in Chinese, literary Yue King of E Temple, or King Yue's Temple, dedicated to Yue Fei, King of E,) located along the Dongqian Lake in Ningbo on a winter morning in 2021. It is also known as the "watermelon temple" because it is situated on an islet in the shape of a watermelon. Two flag poles stood tall in front of the temple, and the square dou (a Chinese bushel) atop the building has several characters on each of its four sides that read guotai minan (stable country and peaceful people) and fengtiao yushun (good weather for the crops). The censers placed before the temple gate had lit candles in them as visitors regularly pay their respects. The four-character Chinese name of the temple Yue E Wang Miao was written in gold above the gate, which was beautifully glittered by the presence of two large-sized red lanterns in front of the corridor. On the side doors there were some descriptions about Yue's morality and personality, which were enhanced by the couplets on the surrounding pillars showing his life story and achievements.  

The current King Yue's Temple was first built in the Qing dynasty (1616-1911), a classic sacrifice temple according to Ningbo traditions. It is a three-section, five-room architecture consisting of a gate tower, a middle hall, a rear hall with east- and west- wing corridors. Crossing the west door of the gate tower, I entered the middle hall, where a horizontal inscribed board that read "huan wo he shan" (give back our lost territories), a couplet and a sculpture of Yue Fei in a seated position could be found.

Yue Fei (1103-1142), courtesy name Pengju, was born in Xiangzhou (present-day Tangyin county, Anyang city) Henan province. He was a military general, militarist, calligrapher and poet during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) and was honored as a "hero of the time".

I had heard many stories about Yue Fei when I was a child, and was really impressed by the one about how he escaped from a water tank and survived a flood as a kid and another of his mother tattooing his back. As I grew older, I also learned about his self-discipline, diligence in studying and practicing martial arts, and military talent.

During the Jingkang Incident, which took place in 1127 and had led to the downfall of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), Yue fought bravely with his famously loyal and courageous "troops of the Yue family", and was highly praised for his contribution. It was in this disastrous fight that Yue made his name. Later, in another confrontation (1140), he beat a trap set by the strongest of Jurchen invaders, a typical victory of infantry over cavalry. However, when he was trying to reclaim the lost territories and take the capital of the Jin dynasty (1115-1234) with his warriors, he was recalled by the emperor with 12 orders, which came in the form of 12 golden plagues. Knowing his ambitious old days would turn to dust, and his beloved homeland could no longer stay intact, Yue cried into the air with sad indignation, which was expressed in his best celebrated poem "Man Jiang Hong" (Entirely Red River).

As a general filled with ambition and patriotism, he could not bear watching the chance to fight for his homeland and protect his compatriots being taken away. However, things took an unexpected turn for the worse. He was falsely accused of treason, and no matter how justified and loyal he was, and how hard he defended himself against it, he was eventually executed for a "could be true" crime at the Fengbo Pavilion. His son Yue Yun (1119-1142) was also put to death. After Yue Fei's murder, a jailer secretly took his body to Hangzhou for burial.

 Some people may share my doubts about why there is a commemorative temple for Yue Fei in Ningbo, given that his birthplace is Henan, and his tomb is in Hangzhou. To clear that up, I spoke with Dai Songyue, a scholar who specializes in Ningbo's cultural history, who explained that this had something to do with a prime minister of the Southern Song dynasty named Shi Hao (1106-1194), who hailed from Dongqian lake, Qin county (present-day Ningbo). As a newly appointed prime minister, he made it a priority for Yue's mishandled case to be readdressed. Shi appealed to the emperor that the reputation and titular honors of Yue, his sons and grandsons, as well as other victims, be restored. Shi's pleas were acceded to. Later, the Song court gave Yue the posthumous title of King of E.

I turned around and saw a horizontal inscribed board with a couplet on the back of the gate tower. The characters on the board praised the great loyalty of Yue, while the ones on the couplet grieved over his tragic end and raged against Qin Hui (1090-1115), who conspired against Yue and eventually caused his death.

Yue is still loved and respected by local folks. There was this old woman to whom I talked to at the entrance. She lived nearby and came here every morning to pay tribute to the hero by serving tea, and told his stories to everyone she came across.

These stories could be found inscribed on the walls of the east and west corridors inside the temple. Among all the folk tales, the one of Yue's back tattoos was the most fascinating to me. Before Yue left home to join the army and defend his homeland against the Jin's invasion, his mother tattooed his back with the words "jing zhong bao guo" (serve the country with utmost loyalty) to remind Yue of his duty. These words were not only inscribed on his back but also in his heart, becoming his source of courage and strength. During my visit, I saw a couple explaining the stories to their child, who was probably seven or eight years of age.

I was grateful to learn, just by looking at the child's eyes, that the hero's tears were not shed in vain. With the river of history rolling on, Yue Fei has continued to be an inspiration for patriotism. Ningbo locals have felt it most profoundly. For example, during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Yue Fei's appeal to "give back our lost territories" was also a spiritual pillar.

On this day, as I stood at King Yue's Temple again, I knew that his spirit of loyalty and service has been deeply implanted in the hearts and minds of Chinese people for thousands of years. I also felt fortunate that this temple still exists so that the people could visit at any time and be enlightened and educated.