Zhou Tong

Zhou Tong was a local hero and a skilled archer from Henan province. He was hired by the father of Yue Fei, a famous Song dynasty general, to teach his son archery when he was a young boy. Zhou Tong recognized Yue Fei's talent and potential and taught him all he knew about archery and military arts. He also accepted other children from the village as his students and trained them in archery. Zhou Tong was very fond of Yue Fei and gave him his two favorite bows as a gift. He also encouraged him to join the army and serve the country. Zhou Tong died in 1121, and Yue Fei visited his tomb regularly and performed rituals to honor his memory. Yue Fei later taught his soldiers the archery skills he learned from Zhou Tong and led them to many victories against the enemies. Zhou Tong was regarded as one of the most influential archery teachers in Chinese history.