Yue Fei and Wuhan (Part 5)
 
9. The Legend of Cuiziwan
 
The area to the north of the residential area of Wuqili situated on Wulidun Street was a nameless bay in ancient times. After the Southern Song Dynasty, it was named Cuiziwan. The name of the area is related to a story that was handed down in Hanyang from generation to generation.
 
When Yue Fei was stationed in Hanyang, he took a walk to this area one day and heard an old lady cry. He followed the crying, entered the house and asked why she was crying. He learned that the old widowed lady was very poor and raised her son alone. Her son was too poor to marry a girl, so he tried his luck doing business in Henan Province (north of Hanyang). Nobody heard from him since so no one knew what had happened to him. Yue Fei wanted to help the old lady so he tried to console her, “Don't worry! If your son comes back as poor as he left, please ask him to come to the barracks to see me.”
 
A few days later, the old lady's son came back empty-handed. He went to see Yue Fei and Yue Fei gave him a bag of silver. The man told Yue Fei that the Jin Army had captured him in Henan and tied him up for several days. He said that he almost lost his life. Yue Fei asked him, “You must be familiar with this path to the north and we need to understand the enemy's situation before launching an assault. What about you go there again to find it out for us?” The old lady's son agreed. After returning home, he married a girl. He no longer wanted to go to Henan.
 
Day after day passed. The old lady became worried, so she urged her son repeatedly to leave without delay. Her son finally relented and left for Henan. He never returned. Before he died, he hired people to send back information about the Jin Army in Henan, which made it possible for Yue Fei's Army to achieve several major victories against the enemy.
 
Because of this story, an unknown bay had a formal name, Cuiziwan (the bay of urging the son).
 
10. Yue Fei Street
 
It was established at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early days of the Republic of China. It starts from Huangxing Road at the southwest, passing through Chezhan Road and is connected to Zhongshan Street in the northeast. It was part of the French settlement in the older days. French authorities named it Jiangjun Street or Xiafei Street (after the great French general Joseph Joffre). It used to be heavily guarded since it contained the French barracks, the Ministry of Industry and jail.  After China's victory against the Japanese invasion and having regained control over the French Settlement, it was renamed after Yue Fei.
 
In addition to the places discussed above, many historical sites remain in the ancient Hubei Province. For example, the Yue Style of Martial Arts, the Yue Fei School and the Yue Family Ancestral Temple are listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Huangmei County is where Yue Fei’s sons, Yue Ting and Yue Zhen’s graves are located. Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province holds the tombs of Yue Fei’s mother, Ms. Yao, and his wife, Ms. Li.
 
The Yue Style of Martial Arts was very popular in Huangmei County, Guangji County and Jichun County. According to the “Huangmei County Annals” and “Guangji County Annals,” the Yue Style was introduced in these counties at the end of the Song Dynasty. It was said that after Yue Fei was murdered, his fourth son Yue Zhen and fifth son Yue Ting were hiding at Yangmeiling, Dahe Township, Huangmei County (now called East Yue Bay and West Yue Bay) to avoid capture. Since Yue Fei was recalled back to the capital by 12 top priority orders in the form of 12 gold plaques, Yue Fei understood that something was afoul, so he secretly handed the Yue Style of Martial Arts Compendium to Yue Zhen and Yue Ting and asked them to hide in Huangmei County instead of accompanying him to the capital. This was how the style of martial arts was widespread in Huangmei County.
 
In Tianmen City, Hubei Province is a township of historical importance, Yuekou. It was called Yuejiakou in the past. According to the record of “Tianmen County Annals,” It was named because Yue Fei's Army used to be stationed there.” The legend of Yue Fei and Yuejiakou has been passed on from generation to generation.
 
岳飞与武汉 (五)
 
催子湾的传说 ：今五里墩街五麒里社区北侧，旧有一无名村湾，南宋以后称作催子湾。关于此湾名的来历，在汉阳民间代代相传著这样一个故事：
 
岳飞屯兵汉阳时，一日散步到此，忽闻一老妪哭声，便循声进屋，问其缘由，得知老妪家境贫寒，守寡养大的儿子无钱娶妻，只得闯河南做买卖，去后生死未卜。岳飞有心帮助老妪，便劝慰她说：“您莫要伤心。您的儿子归来时若未赚到钱，就让他到军寨找我。”
 
数日后，老妪之子归来，两手空空如也，他找到岳飞。岳飞送给他一包银子，他在千恩万谢的同时，告诉岳飞：他在河南时被金兵抓住，捆绑数日，险些丢了性命。岳飞听罢，说道：“这条路你走得熟，眼下攻敌需要摸清敌情，你再为我去一趟如何？”老妪之子当即应承。他带著银子回到家中，娶了媳妇，可就再也不想启程去河南了。
 
日子一天天过去，老妪著急起来，频频催儿子上路。儿子被催急了，只得洒泪与母、妻作别。从此，他再也没有回来，但他在临死前托人捎回了河南金军的情报，岳家军靠此情报打了几场大胜仗。
 
有了这桩传说中的往事，这个无名小湾就有了正名──催子湾。
 
岳飞街：清末民初成街。西南起于黄兴路，经车站路，东北与中山大道相接。旧时在法租界内，由法界当局命名霞飞将军街或称霞飞街（霞飞为法国征战非洲、亚洲的名将），当时此街曾为法国兵营及工部局、巡捕房等驻地，戒备森严。抗战胜利收回法租界后，因该地名附有外来殖民侵略的印记，因而改由我国南宋抗金名将岳飞之名重新定名。
 
此外，在古老的荆楚大地也留下了不少岳飞的历史遗迹。如：湖北武穴岳家拳、岳飞学校、岳氏祠堂所在地被列为国家非物质文化遗产名录；黄梅为岳飞儿子岳霆、岳震墓所在地；江西九江为岳飞母亲姚太夫人墓、岳飞夫人李夫人墓所在地。
 
岳家拳流行于鄂东黄梅县、广济县和蕲春县一带，以黄梅、广济两县为主。据《黄梅县志》和《广济县志》记载，岳家拳在宋末元初传入当地。相传南宋名将岳飞被害后，其四子岳震五子岳霆为避害躲于黄梅县大河镇的杨梅岭（现名叫岳东湾和岳西湾），因岳飞被十二道金牌召回，就知凶多吉少，故把武穆遗书（也叫岳家拳谱）暗地交给岳震、岳霆，并让他们在黄梅县就地避难不要随之进京。岳家拳因此在黄梅县流传了下来。
 
在湖北省天门市境内，有个雄踞汉水之滨的历史重镇一一岳口。岳口，古称“岳家口”。据清《天门县志》载：“相传宋岳武穆驻军于此，因名。”数百年来，一代名臣岳飞与岳口源远流长的历史在这里代代传颂。