Yang Zaixing

Yang Zaixing (, died 21 August 1140) was a

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

general under

Yue Fei Yue Fei ( zh, t=岳飛; March 24, 1103 – January 28, 1142), courtesy name Pengju (), was a Chinese military general who lived during the Southern Song dynasty and a national hero of China, known for leading Southern Song forces in the wa ...

, known for his ferocity in battles. He fought against the Jin dynasty in the

Jin–Song Wars The Jin–Song Wars were a series of conflicts between the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty (1115–1234) and the Han-led Song dynasty (960–1279). In 1115, Jurchen tribes rebelled against their overlords, the Khitan-led Liao dynasty (916–1125), ...

. His heroic death in the

battle of Yancheng The Battle of Yancheng () took place in 1140 near modern-day Luohe City in Henan Province, China between the main armies of China under the Song dynasty and the Jurchen Jin invaders from the north. The battle was a major clash in the wars betwe ...

—where he led 300 cavalry to kill an estimated 2000 enemies before succumbing to hundreds of arrows piercing his body—made him a legendary figure still remembered today. The site of his last battle, near the Xiaoshang River (小商河; a tributary of

Ying River The Ying River () is the largest tributary of the Huai River with its origin in Henan Province, People's Republic of China. From Zhoukou City in Henan the river flows through Fuyang City in Anhui Province then empties into the Huai River at Zh ...

), in modern Linying County,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, houses a mausoleum and temple dedicated to him. In the 18th-century novel ''

General Yue Fei ''General Yue Fei'' () is a Chinese historical novel written by Qian Cai in the Qing dynasty. Consist of 80 chapters, the first 61 chapters detail the life and adventures of Yue Fei, while the last 19 concern the exploits of Yue Fei's son Yue Lei ...

'' (說岳全傳), Yang Zaixing is said to be a descendant of the 10th/11th-century

Generals of the Yang Family ''The Generals of the Yang Family'' is a collection of Chinese folklore, plays and novels on a military family from the earlier years of imperial China's Song Dynasty (960–1279). The stories recount the unflinching loyalty and the remarkable ...

, also known for their bravery defending the Song dynasty against hostile foreign powers. In Jin Yong's ''

Condor Trilogy The ''Condor Trilogy'' (射鵰三部曲) is a series of three wuxia novels written by Hong Kong-based Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). The series is amongst the most popular of Jin Yong's works. The novels in the trilogy are: * ''The Legend ...

'' novels (1957–1961), the fictional protagonists

Yang Kang Yang Kang is the fictional antagonist in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). He also serves as a foil to Guo Jing, the protagonist. Birth and heritage Yang Kang's hometown is in Niu Family Village ...

and

Yang Guo Yang Guo, courtesy name Gaizhi, is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong. Birth and heritage Yang Guo traces his lineage to Yang Zaixing, a Song general who participated in the Jin–Song W ...

are said to be Yang Zaixing's descendants. 1140 deaths Song dynasty people killed in battle {{China-hist-stub