In China, the statues of the country’s most hated couple face daily assaults from thousands of visitors.
For over five hundred years, the figures of former Song dynasty chancellor Qin Hui and his wife have been struck, kicked and spat upon by countless people.
The statues stand in front of the grand tomb of a valiant general in central Hangzhou, eastern China. Qin Hui and his wife were responsible for falsely accusing the general, leading to his execution.
The couple are regarded as the most detested figures in Chinese history. Their iron statues have long symbolised disgrace and betrayal, serving as a permanent reminder of their treachery. Thousands, rather than hundreds, of people assault the statues every day.
The scale of the public’s hatred is evident in the fact that the statues have been replaced eleven times since their first installation in the late fifteenth century. The current statues were erected in 1979.
Qin Hui served as chancellor during the Song dynasty in the twelfth century. He played a key role in negotiating peace between the Song and Jin ruling families.
General Yue Fei, who achieved remarkable victories against the Jin and defended the Song empire from invaders, was imprisoned and executed on Qin Hui’s orders for alleged disloyalty and treason. After his death, Yue Fei became a national symbol of loyalty and martyrdom.
