Yue Fei, a Chinese general of the Song dynasty remembered for his exploits in the Jin–Song wars, has appeared in various types of media; including black-and-white films, plays, games, wuxia novels, and folktales.
Literature
Xiyoubu (西遊補; Supplement to Journey to the West, 1640), a Ming dynasty addendum to the classical novel Journey to the West, which takes place between the end of chapter 61 and the beginning of 62. In the novel, the Monkey King faces a representation of his own carnal desires and is trapped inside of a tower full of mirrors, each with its own powers. One mirror causes him to travel forward in time from the Tang to the Song dynasty. There, some junior devils appear and tell him that the ruler of the underworld King Yama has recently died of an illness and so Monkey must take his place until a suitable replacement can be found. Monkey ends up judging the fate of the recently deceased Prime Minister Qin Hui. He tortures Qin into confessing his sins. These tortures include having millions of embroidery needles shoved into his flesh, being ground into paste, thrown onto a mountain of swords and spears, hacked into bits, forced to drink human puss, and his rib cage ripped apart to give him the appearance of a dragonfly. A demon is charged with using his magic breath to "blow" Qin back into his proper form. Monkey finally sends a demon to heaven to retrieve a powerful magic gourd that sucks anyone who speaks before it inside and melts them down into a bloody stew. He uses this gourd for Qin's final punishment. Meanwhile, Monkey invites the ghost of Yue Fei to the underworld and takes him as his third master. (He claims this completes his lessons on the three religions since: 1) the immortal Subhodhi taught him Taoist magic; 2) the monk Tang Sanzang taught him Buddhist restraint; 3) Yue Fei taught him Confucian ideals.) He entertains Yue Fei until Qin Hui has been reduced to liquid and offers the general a cup of Qin's "blood wine". Yue, however, refuses on the grounds that drinking it would sully his soul. Monkey then does an experiment where he makes a junior devil drink of the wine. Sometime later, the devil, apparently under the evil influence of the blood wine, murders his personal religious teacher and escapes into the "gate of ghosts," presumably being reborn into another existence. Yue Fei then takes his leave to return to his heavenly abode. Monkey sends him off with a huge display of respect by making all of the millions of denizens of the underworld kowtow before him.Dong, Yue, Shuen-fu Lin, Larry James Schulz, and Chengẻn Wu. The Tower of Myriad Mirrors: A Supplement to Journey to the West. Michigan classics in Chinese studies, 1. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, The University of Michigan, 2000. China's Top Ten Classical Tragedy (中國十大古典悲劇), including a vignette of Yue Fei's grandson's quest to clear his late-grandfather's name. Shuo Yue Quanzhuan (說岳全傳; "The Story of Yue Fei", literally Telling the Complete Biography of Yue Fei), a novel based on Yue Fei's biography. It was written by Qian Cai (钱彩), who lived some time during the reigns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors (1661–1735) of the Qing dynasty.Qian, Cai. General Yue Fei. Trans. Honorable Sir T.L. Yang. Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd. (1995) Yue Fei Zhuan (岳飛傳; The Biography of Yue Fei), by wuxia writer Huanzhulouzhu This should not be confused with the historical biography of Yue Fei written during the Song dynasty, but compiled with other such biographies in the Yuan dynasty. Condor Trilogy (射鵰三部曲), a trilogy of novels by wuxia writer Louis Cha. Although Yue Fei does not appear in the stories, he is still revered by many of the characters as an ethnic hero. Yang Kang, the primary antagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, is a descendant of Yang Zaixing, a subordinate of Yue Fei. The Book of Wumu (武穆遺書; Posthumous Writings of Wumu"Wumu" refers to Yue Fei), a fictional military textbook written by Yue Fei, is also featured in the first and third novels. The book is hidden inside the titular Dragon Saber in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Guo Jing and Xu Da benefit from reading the book and using the military strategies detailed inside to defeat enemy armies. Yue Fei Lie Zhuan (岳飛列傳), a manhua series about Yue Fei's military exploits. Tiebi Jindao Zhou Tong Zhuan (鐵臂金刀周侗傳; Iron Arm, Golden Broadsword: The Biography of Zhou Tong) – Yue Fei appears as Zhou Tong's student in the last few chapters of Zhou's fictional biography.Wang, Yun Heng () and Xiao Yun Long (). Tiebi Jindao Zhou Tong Zhuan ( – "Iron Arm, Golden Broadsword: The Biography of Zhou Tong"). Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Publishing House, 1986 (UBSN --- Union Books and Serials Number) CN (10103.414) and 464574 Zhou Tong Chuanqi (周侗傳奇; The Legend of Zhou Tong) – This lianhuanhua-style comic book is based on Zhou Tong's biography and has the same material about Yue Fei, but in picture form.Xiong, Ti (). Zhou Tong Zhuan Qi (周侗傳奇; The Legend of Zhou Tong) (Vol. 1–10). Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House (), 1987 Donald Duk, a 1991 novel by Frank Chin, includes a version of the story using the Cantonese spelling Ngawk Fay. Chin uses the version of the story in which Yue Fei's mother inscribes the tattoo on his back; Chin also uses the version of the story in which the married couple who betrays him are immortalized as the origin of a Chinese double doughnut, which is fried and cut open as a sign of the people's hatred for the couple's treachery toward him. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
Film and television Shortly after filming New Police Story in 2004, Jackie Chan reported that he would produce and play Yue Fei in a bioepic about the general's life. Jaycee Chan, Jackie Chan's son, will share the role as young Yue Fei. Jackie Chan said, “There's already a rough draft right now, we've even found a co-star. In fact, filming of Genghis Khan is also under consideration, but it must be a good script, because a lot of people have filmed this story, and the story itself is complicated and randomized, so up to now, there isn't a concrete plan yet. And [the script for] Yue Fei is nearly completed." He continues, "I think Yue Fei is a man with great sense of loyalty, so am I. I've been loyal to Golden Harvest, to friends and to my country!" Filming will not begin until Chan finishes filming several other projects (including Rush Hour 3), but he is willing to work for reduced pay so he can work with his son. This is because he believes the box office results will be good. However, director Stanley Tong says the role of Yue Fei could possibly go to Andy Lau.Article about Jackie Chang’s future portrayal of Yue Fei (Chinese only)Jackie Chan And Son Will Portray Yue Fei, An 11th Century Chinese General (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) Japanese internet page which talks about Jackie Chan’s plans to play Yue Fei (Japanese/Chinese mix)Jackie Chan Makes Preparation for Yue Fei Becomes outstanding the fathers and sons to ally "Yue Fei"? Stanley Tong doubts the rumor (Chinese only)
Films Yue Fei (岳飛) (1940).Yue Fei (岳飛) at the Chinese Movie Data Base (Chinese only) Jin Zhong Bao Guo (盡忠報國 – Serve the Country Loyally) (1940).Jin Zhong Bao Guo (尽忠报国) at the Chinese Movie Data Base (Chinese only) The name of this film comes from the tattoo on Yue Fei's back. Yue Fei Chu Shi (岳飛出世 – The Birth of Yue Fei) (1962). A 10-year-old Sammo Hung played young Yue Fei.Yue Fei Chu Shi (岳飛出世) at the Chinese Movie Data Base (Chinese only) This film was largely based on The Story of Yue Fei. The Twelve Gold Medallions (十二金牌) (1970). A Shaw Brothers production. Although Yue Fei does not appear in this film, the story revolves around another hero who is on a quest to intercept 12 Gold Medallions from reaching Yue Fei as they are part of a plot devised by the traitorous Prime Minister, Qin Hui, to recall Yue Fei back to the capital to be executed.
Television series by royal decree is a 1984 TV series from ATV. Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon (TV series) (八千里路雲和月). A 40-episode Taiwanese television series about the life story of Yue Fei (played by Kenny Ho). It was aired from 1988 to 1989 on CTS. The Legend Of Yue Fei (岳飞传) is a 1994 television series with 20 episodes that was aired in Hong Kong. It told a dramatized story of Yue Fei's (portrayed by Norman Chui) life as a general of the Song dynasty in China. self-denial (孝感動天). A 1995 TVB television series including a vignette based on China's Top Ten Classical Tragedy, of a fictitious account of Yue Fei's (Newton Lai) grandson, Yue Ke (Marco Ngai), of his quest to clear his grandfather's name. In the series, the people of the Southern Song accuse Yue of being a traitor, due to the conspiracy of Qin Hui, the Emperor Gaozong of Song, and the Jin court. Yue Ke must also battle Qin's son Qin Xi (Law Lok Lam) to avenge his parents with aid from Qin's grandchildren (Vivian Lai and Lei Jiu Ging) and Emperor Xiaozong of Song (Leung Kin Ping). A Weaver on the Horizon (天涯織女) is a 2010 Chinese historical drama set during the Song-Yuan transition. Though the legendary general Yue Fei never appears, he serves as a cultural hero for the protagonist, Lin Mufei (Yuan Hong). Named by his father in honor of Yue’s patriotism, Mufei carries on his idol’s mission of defending the Song dynasty against Mongol invaders. Following the fall of the Jin dynasty, the Lin family continues the fight until Mufei is the sole survivor. In a symbolic blow to his cause, a stone tablet inscribed with Yue Fei's famous poem Man Jiang Hong is destroyed by the Mongol general Bayan of the Merkit. Mourning the final ruin of the Song and crushed under the weight of his own failures, Mufei abandoned the battlefield to the ghosts. Driven apart from master weaver Huang Qiao'er (Janine Chang) by irreconcilable differences, Mufei eloped with Princess Zhao Jiayi (Liu Shishi) to build a quiet life and revive his family line.
The Patriot Yue Fei (精忠岳飛) is a 2013 television series based on the biography of Yue Fei. It will be the first Chinese historical television series to be broadcast on HBO. Huang Xiaoming stars as the titular character. Son of Hero (驚天岳雷) is a yet-to-be aired 48-episode Chinese wuxia television series produced by Shandong Film & Media Group. It is a fictional account centered on Yue Fei's surviving son, Yue Lei (Gavin Gao), who seeks revenge against those responsible for his family's plight after they murdered his father and brother, beginning a journey that ultimately shapes him into a hero in the jianghu. Li Man as Xia Yunfei, who is Yue Lei's love interest. Yue Fei also appears in flashbacks, portrayed by Yu Rongguang, who also played Yue Fei's martial arts teacher Zhou Tong in The Patriot Yue Fei. Wang Wei, who portrayed Wanyan Zongwang in The Patriot Yue Fei, plays Yue Fei's subordinate Wang Gui in the series, whose character serves as a mentor to the protagonist. Zhang Zijian portrays Qin Hui and Steven Ma as Emperor Gaozong of Song. Though the series finished shooting in 2016, it has not aired in China yet.
Games
Boardgames
A Yue Fei card set was sold as part of five famous Chinese warriors — Guan Yu, Hua Mulan, Jie the Tyrant, Sun Tzu, and Yue Fei — in the "Chinese" section of the second set of world cultures produced by the Anachronism boardgame in June 2005.Chinese Culture In July 2005, the card pack was used for a promotional offer where a person would receive it or a Robin Hood card pack if they sent in the UPC labels off of three warrior packs (from any culture) or one warrior and one starter set. In April 2006, the player could send in the UPC's of four warrior packs or two warrior packs and one starter to choose between promotional cards from sets two and three, which consisted of Yue Fei, Robin Hood, Siegfried or Black Hawk. However, with the release of the sixth set in August 2006, the Yue Fei and Robin Hood packs were no longer available.Anachronism News