Yue Fei exhibited honesty and high moral standards when taking official positions. He often said, “If officials do not love money and generals do not fear death, the world will be at peace.”
 
Being a general, Yue Fei liked reading Zuo Zhuan, a history book about the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC – 468 BC) and military books by Sun Tzu, etc. During breaks between battles, he also wrote and read poems with his staff. Fourteen of his poems and three ci have been passed down, among them, “Man Jiang Hong” demonstrates his strong patriotism and determination to defend his country.
 
Yue Fei also enjoyed calligraphy. His writing of regular script in small characters followed Yan Zhenqing's (709 – 785 AD, a leading calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty) style while his running-regular script followed Su Shi's (1037 – 1101 AD, another famous calligrapher in the Song Dynasty) style. Several of his stone inscriptions still exist. The “First and Second Memorials on Dispatching the Troops” was the most famous one. Thus was the man who defined “loyalty to the country” in the long history of China.
 
There are numerous historical sites related to Yue Fei in Wuhan. The main sites are described below.
 
1. Yue Wumu Pavilion
 
Otherwise known as the Yue Fei Pavilion, it is located in front of the Yue Fei Bronze Statue in Huanghelou Park (Yellow Crane Park). The pavilion was built in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War and renovated in 1981. Built of stone and wood, the pavilion sits north and faces south. The hexagonal roof has six tips pointing up to the sky and green glazed roof tiles. The words “Yue Wumu Pavilion” are inscribed on the eaves of the pavilion and a couple is inscribed on the stone pillars. The whole construction is simple and dignified.
 
There is a stone stele of Yue Fei inside the pavilion. It was said to be from the Valiant Temple of E (Ezhou) located outside the Big East Gate in Wuchang. Around the pavilion, there is a stone archway showing “loyalty to the country,” a stone carving of “return our rivers and mountains”, a bronze statue of Yue Fei, and a large relief sculpture made of green sandstone. The various pieces come together to form one body to reflect the brilliance of Yue Fei.
 
The bronze statue of Yue Fei is eight meters (27 feet) high. It sits on a two-meter base and weighs 16 tons. It depicts Yue Fei holding the reins of a horse, exhibiting valiant demeanor, righteousness, and a powerful stare, as if looking at the rivers and mountains of the country in the far distance. A 25.6-meter (85 feet) wide blue stone relief depicts the scene of the Yue army defeating Jin's army in battle. His ci (a type of poem in the Song Dynasty) “Man Jiang Hong – Emotions Ascending the Yellow Crane Tower” is engraved on it. The whole sculpture is powerful and smooth, and evokes a shocking effect on people.
 
After the Japanese invaded Beijing in 1937, Wuhan's anti-Japanese groups found in the destroyed Yue Fei Temple a green stele that was from the Tenth Year of Wanli Period in the Ming Dynasty (1582 AD). The stele had Yue Fei's picture and an eulogy poem by Zhang Yixian from Dali City, Yunnan Province. Several groups selected Hu Zhi, a member of the Xinhai Revolution Club, to lead the effort to fundraise and build the Yue Wumu Pavilion. The stele was erected inside the pavilion. The pavilion thus became famous due to the stele.
 
2. Loyalty Temple
 
Deceitful court official Qin Hui of the Song Dynasty had Yue Fei killed on “unfounded guilt” in 1142 AD. During the rule of Emperor Xiaozong (1127 – 1194 AD, ruling from 1162 – 1189 AD), Yue Fei was redressed and granted the posthumous name Wumu in 1169 AD. The emperor restored his official position and reburied him with a stately ceremony. When Yue Fei's son Yue Lin arrived in Ezhou, the local army and people welcomed him with tears in their eyes to show their deepest regard for Yue Fei.
 
After Yue Fei's name was reinstated, local people asked for permission to build a temple for Yue Fei. In February 1170, Hubei official Zhao Yanbo presented the request to the emperor. Emperor Xiaozong allowed for a horizontal inscribed board “Loyalty Temple” and issued an imperial edict to appropriate money for the building of the temple. Land was also given to support the temple. Yue Fei was given the posthumous title King of E by Emperor Ningzong in 1204, and the Loyalty Temple was renamed as King E Temple, also commonly called Yue Temple. The pine and cypress trees, originally planted by Yue Fei, were transplanted on the two sides of the temple. The trees were named Yue Pine and Yue Cypress.
 
By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Yue Family held activities mainly in two places, the Loyalty Temple of the old city of Wuchang in Hubei Province in Southern China and Yue Fei Temple in Tangyin, Henan Province in Northern China.
 
According to the “Jiangxia County Annals,” back in the day, Wuchang built two Loyalty Temples in memory of Yue Fei. The bound and kneeling iron statues of Qin Hui and his wife were located inside the Yue Fei Temple outside the Big East Gate of Wuchang. The iron statues were cast in 1170. It was said that people who were ill would recover once they hit the kneeling statues with rocks. The local people in Wuhan compiled some of Yue Fei's deeds into legends, which were passed on generation after generation.

岳飞与武汉 (二)
 
岳飞为官清廉正直，他常说：“文官不爱钱，武官不怕死，天下就太平了。”
 
岳飞虽是行伍出身，但喜欢读《左传》与孙吴之书，岳飞在战斗间隙，亦与幕僚缘情吟咏，有诗14首、词3首流传于世，其中《满江红》“怒发冲冠凭栏处”之句，极具爱国情怀和报国之志。
 
岳飞还酷爱书法，他的小楷学颜真卿，体态精妙；行书则学苏轼，笔法纵逸。传世岳飞所书碑帖有好几种，其中尤以《前后出师表》最著名，笔力遒劲，布局结体均耐人观赏。从而在中华五千年历史文明长河中书写了一段“精忠报国”的悲壮历史。
 
现今遍布武汉三镇的岳飞主要遗迹有：
 
岳武穆遗像亭：简称岳飞亭，位于黄鹤楼公园岳飞铜像之前。该亭于1937年抗战期间建成，1981年重新修整。亭子坐北朝南，木石结构，六角攒尖，碧瓦盖顶，古朴端庄。亭簷匾额“岳武穆遗像亭”，石柱上刻有对联。
 
岳武穆遗像石碑（传说是武昌大东门外原鄂忠烈庙遗物）供于亭中，上方竖刻“岳武穆王遗像”和张翼先所撰像赞。亭子周边现建有精忠报国石坊、“还我河山”石刻、岳飞铜雕塑像及大型青沙石浮雕等，共融一体，相映生辉。
 
岳飞铜像通高8米（其中基座2米），重达16吨，系青铜铸造。岳飞扶鞍勒马，神态英武，正气凛然，目光如炬，似在远眺故国大好河山。一块长达25.6米的青石浮雕，再现了当年岳家军驰骋沙场、大败金兀术的历史场景。浮雕上镌刻有岳飞军《满江红﹒登黄鹤楼有感》手迹。整座雕塑造型有力，线条流畅，强烈的震撼力呼之欲出。
 
1937年卢沟桥事变后，武汉抗日群众团体在清理倾圮的岳王庙时，从瓦砾中发现一尊明万历十年（西元1582年）四月镌刻的有岳武穆遗像和云南太和（今大理）人张翼先所撰四言像赞诗的青石碑，于是众人推举辛亥首义同志会的胡贽负责筹措资金，在现址东8米处建岳武穆遗像亭，置碑于亭中。亭以碑得名。
 
忠烈庙
 
绍兴十一年（西元1142年）奸臣秦桧以“莫须有”的罪名将岳飞陷害致死。孝宗时为岳飞平反昭雪，下令恢复其官职，追谥“武穆”，以礼改葬；当岳飞之子岳霖到鄂州时，鄂州军民哭泣而迎，以表达对岳飞的深切怀念。岳飞冤案昭雪后，鄂州人民首先请求为岳飞建庙。湖北转运司赵彦博，于乾道六年（西元1170年）二月上书孝宗皇帝，呈请在鄂州为岳飞建立庙宇以示祭祀。孝宗皇帝赐“忠烈庙”为额，并下圣旨拨四千贯建庙款，建立了岳王庙。这是宋朝孝宗皇帝诏令修建的全国第一座忠烈庙，当时同时御赐的还有1000亩香火田。嘉泰四年（西元1204）岳飞被追封为鄂王，忠烈庙改名为鄂王庙（俗称岳庙），庙旁移植有岳飞生前栽植的松柏，被称为岳柏、岳松。清末以来，岳氏宗族重大活动就形成了南在湖北武昌老城忠烈庙，北在河南汤阴岳王庙的格局。
 
据《江夏县志》载，当时武昌修过两座纪念岳飞的忠烈庙。湖北武昌秦桧夫妇跪像，位于武昌县南大东门外岳飞庙内，宋乾道六年铁铸，绑跪屏下，相传凡疾病者，以石击为验。武汉老百姓还把岳飞的一些事迹，编成传奇式的乃至神话般的各种故事，彼此称述，互相传播。