维基百科

Yue Fei and Wuhan (Part 1)
 
“Looking across the Central Plains, beyond the wild smoke are many cities. Thinking about the past, they were adorned by flowers and willow trees, with boats decorated with phoenixes and pavilions etched with dragons. Dances and songs were plentiful in the gardens and palaces. Now, waves of dust by the enemy’s cavalry run amok outside the capital’s walls.
 
Where are the soldiers? They are fighting on the battlefield, blood moisturizing their swords. Where are the civilians? They are falling prey to the battles, with their bodies strewn across valleys. Where is the nation of the past? Thousands of villages are destitute. When can I head out to defeat the enemies and show loyalty to the country? My whip is pointed straight north. Once we cross the Yangtze River, sweep away the barbarians and recover the Central Plains, I wish to return here to continue my tour of Hanyang and ride the Yellow Crane.”
 
The above is Yue Fei’s poem “Emotions Ascending the Yellow Crane Tower.” This timeless Song-style poem reflects his nostalgia for Hanyang (a district in present day Wuhan City). The Song Dynasty and generations of people of Wuhan have deep respect and remembrance of Yue Fei.
 
Yue Fei, courtesy name Pengju, lived from the years 1103 – 1141 AD. He was born in Tangyin County of Xiangzhou, now a part of China's Henan Province. Yue Fei is well remembered in Chinese history as a great general and national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty.
 
Yue Fei was a diligent student in his younger years. He developed good skills in the martial arts and joined the army at the age of 19. Shortly afterwards, his father passed away, so Yue Fei left the army to go home and mourn his father.
 
In 1126, the Jin Dynasty (Jurchens) invaded the Southern Song Dynasty. Yue Fei joined the army again and thus resumed his military career to defend the country. Living by the principle to “serve the country with utmost loyalty,” he carried out the mission to take back the land that was occupied by the Jin invaders and to abolish the shame brought by the Humiliation of Jingkang. His army “Yue Army” was well trained with strong military discipline where they “would rather die of hunger than rob people, and die of cold than tear people's houses down to burn.” Yue Fei's army continuously defeated the Jin army and was deeply loved by the people.
 
In his military career, Yue Fei directed 126 battles without losing a single one. He is a true “forever-victorious general.” The Jin army was so afraid of Yue Fei's army that they exclaimed, “To shake the mountains is easy, but to shake Yue Fei's army is barely possible.”
 
During his lifetime, Yue Fei spent seven years (1134 – 1141 AD) stationed in the city of Wuhan. It was the base from which the Yue Army carried out its northern expeditions. Yue Fei embarked on four expeditions from Ezhou (present day Wuchang), thus establishing deep historical connections with Wuhan. According to archeological confirmations, the general headquarters was situated in present day Simenkou of Old Wuchang City, the military training grounds were at the present day Small East Gate’s Sand Lake, the barracks were at the Big East Gate’s Shaihu Lake, the stables were at the Matiying neighborhood, and the naval training base was set at Yuejiazui outside Old Wuchang City. It was in Wuhan where Yu Fei reached the apex of his life. Here, he established his career and achievements. At age 32, he was named a Duke. In 1178, Yue Fei was posthumously named Wumu. Yue Fei’s highest title was “Song Yue King of E” (or King of Ezhou in Song Dynasty). In the almost 900 years since his death, many historic sites, legends, folklore and stories related to Yue Fei have been left in Wuchang and Hanyang. Today, there are reminders such as Yue Fei Pavilion, Yue Song, Yue Mei, Yuejiazui and Yue Fei Street.
 
According to historical records, Yue Fei's mother, Mrs. Yao, died at his military base in Ezhou (in Hubei Province) in March 1136. Deciding to resign his official position, Yue Fei left without reporting to the emperor. He carried her coffin to Lu Mountain, Jiangxi Province and submitted a report to request approval to stay in mourning for his mother. However, the emperor ordered him to come back to serve the country. Thus, Yue Fei “converted his filial piety to loyalty (to the emperor and the country)” and returned to his military post in Xiangyang, Hubei in June 1136. That August, he marched northward again deep into the territory of the Qi Kingdom, a puppet government of the Jin that was made up of traitors of the Song Dynasty. Yue Fei recaptured several counties. In September, he had to retreat to Ezhou due to lack of reinforcements. Unable to reach his aspirations, Yue Fei wrote the eternal poem A River of Red. In November, the Qi Kingdom was defeated and Ezhou was recovered. The place where Yue Fei’s mother passed away in Wuchang was named “Loyalty and Filial Piety Gate.”

岳飞与武汉 (一)
 
“遥望中原，荒烟外，许多城郭；想当年，花遮柳护，凤船龙阁。万岁山前珠翠绕，蓬壶殿里笙歌作。到而今，铁骑满郊畿，风尘恶。
 
兵安在，膏锋锷；民安在，填沟壑。叹江山如故，千村寥落。何日请缨提锐旅？一鞭直指清河洛。却归来再续汉阳游，骑黄鹤。”
 
此为民族英雄、南宋抗金名将岳飞的《满江红﹒登黄鹤楼有感》，这首流传千古，脍炙人口的宋词道出了他对汉阳的眷恋之情。南宋及其以后的历代武汉民众对岳飞也素有深深的敬意和怀念。
 
岳飞（西元1103-1141），南宋军事家，民族英雄。字鹏举，相州汤阴（今属河南）人。少时勤奋好学，并练就一身好武艺。19岁时投军。不久因父丧，退伍还乡守孝。西元1126年金兵大举入侵中原，岳飞再次投军，开始了他抗击金军，保家卫国的戎马生涯；他怀抱“精忠报国”的赤胆忠心，以收复中原，雪“靖康耻”为职志；他统率的岳家军训练有素，军纪严明，“饿死不掳掠，冻死不拆屋”，屡挫入侵的金军，深受百姓的爱戴；在其戎马生涯中，岳飞亲自参与指挥了126仗，未尝一败，是名符其实的常胜将军，金兵亦畏惮岳家军，发出了“撼山易，撼岳家军难”的感叹。
 
岳飞一生有7年时间（西元1134年-1141年）屯兵武汉，武汉是岳家军驻扎和北伐基地。岳飞从鄂州（今武昌）出发进行了4次北伐，因而与武汉结下了深厚的历史渊源。据考证，当年的帅府就设在武昌老城司门口，校场设在小东门沙湖畔，中军营设在大东门晒湖旁，马队设在马蹄营，水军培训及其基地则设在老城外的岳家嘴。正是在武汉，他达到人生辉煌的顶峰──在这里，他建功立业，凭借襄邓大捷以仅三十二岁之年龄封侯（武昌郡开国侯）。淳熙五年（西元1178年），岳飞被追谥武穆，宁宗朝追封鄂王。岳飞的最高称号为“宋岳鄂王”。870余年来，在武昌、汉阳留下了许多岳飞的遗址和传说。如岳飞亭、岳松、岳梅及岳家嘴、岳飞街等地名，及大量与岳飞相关的民间传说与故事。
 
据史载：西元1136年3月，岳母姚氏病亡于鄂州军中。岳飞不俟报，解官而去，扶梓至庐山，奏请守孝终制，诏不允。宋廷下诏起复，岳飞“移孝作忠”，于6月进屯襄阳。8月，再次出师北上，遣部将深入伪齐境内，收复虢州卢氏县、商州及西京之长水县。9月，因孤军无援，还军鄂州。此次北伐，岳飞壮志未酬，写下了千古绝唱的名词《满江红》。11月，屯驻江州，伪齐军败走，复还鄂州。武昌当年岳母灵堂所在地被命名为忠孝门。