General Yuefei 岳 飛 將 軍

you tiao (Literal meaning:oil strip) The Cantonese name yàuhjagwái literally means "oil-fried ghost" and, according to folklore, is an act of protest against Song Dynasty official Qin Hui, who is said to have orchestrated the plot to frame the general Yue Fei, an icon of patriotism in Chinese culture.

It is said that the food, originally in the shape of two human-shaped pieces of dough but later evolved into two pieces joined in the middle, represents Qin Hui and his wife, both having a hand in collaborating with the enemy to bring about the great general's demise. Thus the youtiao is deep fried and eaten as if done to the traitorous couple. In keeping with the legend, youtiao are often made as two foot-long rolls of dough joined along the middle, with one roll representing the husband and the other the wife

Another significant site is a shrine dedicated to the larger-than-life national hero, General Yuefei, whose 12th century exploits against the Jin invaders of the north have been celebrated in innumerable stories, plays and operas.

Yuefei was on the verge of victory when he was recalled by the southern Song Emperor, framed and executed together with his son. The official Qin Hui who advocated negotiating with the enemy was instrumental to his death.

A commemorative plaque with the words “Return our rivers and mountains” emblazoned in gold hangs above a large statue of the much-loved general in the memorial temple. From there a small side gate leads to the modest mausoleum of Yuefei (Yuefeimu) and his son, their high status evidenced only by stone figurines that flank the way to the burial mounds.

Iron sculptures of the traitorous Qin Hui and wife – half-naked and with hands bound behind them – kneel facing the tombs in eternal humiliation and penance. Such was the ire of the people that they made dough sticks to represent the reviled couple and fried them for breakfast; thus was invented the youtiao or, in Cantonese, yau-zha-guai (oil-fried devil).

It appears that nearly nine centuries after Yuefei’s death, anger against the couple has not abated. A sign above the kneeling statues tell people not to spit (on them); there was a patch on Qin Hui’s head where someone had drilled a hole and I was startled when a young man strode up and whacked the “traitor” with a rolled-up newspaper.