Yu Qian
Yu Qian died on February 16, 1457. It is said that when the news of his death became known "every single woman and child in the capital was moved to tears." Before long, a children' s rhyme became popular in the city:
In the capital rice is expensive;
Where can we obtain rice in plenty?
The egret walks through the waters,
Seeking everywhere for fish.
The last two words of the second and fourth lines are homophones for Fan Guang and Yu Qian respectively.
In 1466, nine years after his death, Yu Qian was posthumously restored to his former posts by special imperial decree and the site of his old home renamed the Shrine to Loyalty and Integrity. In 1590, during the reign of Emperor Wanli, a statue of Yu Qian was placed inside the shrine in the early years of the Qing Dynasty. The Yu Qian Memorial Temple was constructed in the Guangxu period, but all the objects placed in the temple at the time have long since disappeared. A commemorative altar to Yu Qian, a horizontal tablet that reads, "His blood burns for a thousand years," and several other memorial inscriptions are now on display on the second floor of the Kuiguang Pavilion.
Source:China.org.cn
Editor: Feng Hui
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