Liang Hongyu Memorial Hall

The Liang Hongyu Memorial Hall is located in Beichenfang, Xincheng, Huai’an City, in memory of[...]

The Liang Hongyu Memorial Hall is located in Beichenfang, Xincheng, Huai’an City, in memory of the Southern Song Dynasty’s heroic woman, Liang Hongyu. The original construction date is unknown, and it has been rebuilt several times, with the most recent reconstruction in 1982. Liang Hongyu, born in Chuzhou (now known as Huai’an), was the wife of the famous Southern Song general Han Shizhong. She is known for her support in the battle against the Jin army at Jinshan in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, where she played the drum to encourage the troops. Her act of ‘thunderous drumming against the Jin troops’ has become a legendary tale. In the fourth year of Emperor Gaozong’s Jianyan era, she and her husband Han Shizhong defended Jingkou and fought a great battle against the Jin army at Huangtiandang. Liang Hongyu ‘personally beat the drums’, directing the battle and achieving a significant victory. In the fifth year of Emperor Shaoxing’s era, she stationed troops in Chuzhou and dug reed roots to supplement military rations. ‘For over a decade in Huai’an, with only 30,000 troops, the Jin people dared not advance southward.’ She was honored as Lady An Guo and Lady Yang Guo. Later, she followed Han Shizhong and led troops to Huai’an, building a new city more than a mile north of Huai’an city to resist the Jin army. A statue and temple were erected in her honor here. As she was the seventh in her family, it is commonly known as the ‘Seventh Granny Temple’. The restored Liang Hongyu Memorial Hall consists of three rooms with a courtyard. Surrounded by walls on three sides, the south side features the main entrance, with a stone drum on each side of the gate. Inside, there is a three-foot-six-inch-high altar with a shrine, the shrine has three-panel walls, and a six-foot square glass on the south side displays a clay statue of Liang Hongyu in military attire with a sword, standing five feet tall, with a graceful and majestic demeanor. A stone tablet detailing Liang Hongyu’s life story also stands inside the hall. In 1982, the Huai’an People’s Government restored it to its original appearance, making the statue of Liang Hongyu even more lifelike. The Liang Hongyu Memorial Hall is now a municipal cultural heritage protection unit. It is open all year round from 9:00 to 17:00.