Tomb of Yang Zaixing

Tomb of Yang Zaixing

The Tomb of Yang Zaixing is a Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Tomb of Yang Zaixing is located 12 kilometers south of Linying County and 300 meters east of Xiaoshang Bridge, commonly known as the "Tomb of Loyalty" and locally referred to as "General Yang’s Tomb." The tomb site spans over 20 acres in a rectangular shape, surrounded by lush pines and cypresses. It includes one memorial temple, a structure built during the Qing Dynasty. In front of the temple stand five stone steles erected during the Qing reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, Daoguang, and Tongzhi, among which two date back to the Kangxi era: one is the "Tomb of General Yang of the Song Dynasty," standing 2.6 meters tall with characters over a foot high in bold strokes; the other is the "Tomb of General Yang of the Song Dynasty," also 2.6 meters tall with one-inch characters in a mix of running and cursive scripts. Both were composed by the eminent official Shen Jinsi and inscribed by Teng Zhihu, expressing deep reverence for the general. Other steles mostly recount the general’s military achievements and praises from later generations. Behind the temple lies the tomb mound, 6.6 meters high. In front of the mound is a broken stele with illegible inscriptions, though the four characters "Zai Xing’s Tomb" can be faintly made out. Legend says they were engraved on the spear tip by Yue Fei.

Yang Zaixing was from Jishui in Jiangxi Province, with ancestral roots in Xiangzhou, Henan (now Tangyin County, Henan). Born into poverty, he fished with his father for a living in his youth. At age 18, he joined Cao Cheng’s rebel army and later became one of his generals. In the second year of the Shaoxing era (1132), after Yue Fei defeated Cao Cheng, Yang Zaixing joined Yue Fei to fight against the Jin. In battles against the Jin forces, Yang Zaixing displayed extraordinary bravery and achieved remarkable feats, eventually being promoted to Commandant. After the Battle of Yancheng, while leading a 300-strong cavalry patrol, he unexpectedly encountered Jin troops at Xiaoshang Bridge. A fierce battle ensued, during which he killed over 3,000 enemy soldiers. Eager to capture the Jin commander Wuzhu, Yang and his horse became trapped in the Xiaoshang River and were unable to escape. The Jin soldiers rained arrows upon them, and the general met his heroic end in the river, with his entire unit perishing. Legend has it that Yue Fei, upon arriving at Xiaoshang Bridge, mourned the general deeply, cremated his body, and collected two sheng (a traditional unit of volume) of arrowheads. He then buried Yang’s ashes on the sunny side of the Xiaoshang River. In 1963, the tomb was designated as a Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the provincial government.

Biography of Yang Zaixing:

Yang Zaixing was from Jishui in Jiangxi Province, with ancestral roots in Xiangzhou (now Tangyin County, Henan). Born into poverty, he fished with his father for a living in his youth. At age 18, he joined Cao Cheng’s rebel army and later became one of his generals. In the second year of the Shaoxing era (1132), after Yue Fei defeated Cao Cheng, Yang Zaixing joined Yue Fei to fight against the Jin. In battles against the Jin forces, Yang Zaixing displayed extraordinary bravery and achieved remarkable feats, eventually being promoted to Commandant. After the Battle of Yancheng, while leading a 300-strong cavalry patrol, he unexpectedly encountered Jin troops at Xiaoshang Bridge. A fierce battle ensued, during which he killed over 3,000 enemy soldiers. Eager to capture the Jin commander Wuzhu, Yang and his horse became trapped in the Xiaoshang River and were unable to escape. The Jin soldiers rained arrows upon them, and the general met his heroic end in the river, with his entire unit perishing. Legend has it that Yue Fei, upon arriving at Xiaoshang Bridge, mourned the general deeply, cremated his body, and collected two sheng of arrowheads. He then buried Yang’s ashes on the sunny side of the Xiaoshang River. In 1963, the tomb was designated as a Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the provincial government.

Yang Zaixing Follows Yue Fei

In the first year of the Shaoxing era, the outlaw Cao Cheng invaded from the north into Hunan. Yang was captured and recruited by Cao, who, impressed by his extraordinary stature and superior martial skills, appointed him as a leader to guard the Moye Pass. The following year, Yue Fei, the Pacification Commissioner of Jinghu Circuit, sought to both suppress and recruit Cao Cheng’s forces. Yang fell into a ravine during battle and was captured but later chose to follow Yue Fei.

Yang Zaixing Battles Jin Troops

When the Jin army launched a major southern invasion, Yue Fei stationed his troops in Xiangyang, vowing to reclaim the Central Plains. Yang was ordered to lead the vanguard to Changshui County, where he engaged Jin forces around Yeyang. In the initial battle, he killed Sun, the Jin commander, along with Commander Pu Zai, and slew over 300 Jin soldiers. The next day, at the Battle of Sunhongjian, he defeated 2,000 enemies, seized 20,000 dan of grain, and captured numerous weapons and horses. Riding this momentum, he reclaimed key locations of the Western Capital and advanced into Cai Prefecture, earning the title of Imperial Guard Commandant for his accumulated merits.

The Heroic Death of Yang Zaixing

In the tenth year of the Shaoxing era, Jin commander Wuzhu led 120,000 troops in a sudden attack on Linying. Yang Zaixing charged at the forefront with his men, killing over 2,000 enemies. He then led 300 light cavalry in pursuit. Upon reaching Xiaoshang Bridge, snow had obscured the river, causing their horses to become bogged down. The Jin soldiers seized the opportunity to unleash a barrage of arrows. Yang Zaixing died a heroic death. He was 36 years old. His remains, armor, and two bronze battle gongs used for military command were transported back to his hometown, buried at Dajuantong, and honored with a dedicated shrine. Though Yang Zaixing may not have been the most skilled warrior in Yue Fei’s army, he was undoubtedly among its bravest.

Yang Zaixing ( ?–1140 ), a famous Southern Song general who fought against the Jin. A member of the Yao ethnic group from Wugang Military Prefecture (administered in present-day Penxi, Xinning County) of the Southern Song. Born in 1104 in Chengbu, he lost his father at a young age and moved with his mother, Lady Li, to her family home near Pengxi in Xinwu’s Langshan area. From childhood, he trained in martial arts and was known for his extraordinary archery. In the first year of the Shaoxing era of Emperor Gaozong (1131), Cao Cheng gathered over 100,000 followers and occupied Daozhou and Hezhou. Yang Zaixing served as one of Cao’s generals. It is said that Yang was a descendant of Yang Ye, a famous general of the early Song Dynasty. Initially a bandit, he later became a key member of Yue Fei’s army, making great contributions to Yue’s defeat of the pseudo-Jin and achieving a major victory over Wuzhu at Yancheng. … More details about Yang Zaixing ++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units