Battle of Yamen - Aftermath

Aftermath

The History of Song records that, seven days after the battle, hundreds of thousands of corpses floated to the surface of the sea. Reportedly, the body of the boy emperor was found near today's Shekou in Shenzhen, though his actual grave has yet to be found.

Zhang Shijie, having escaped the battle, hoped to have Dowager Yang appoint the next Song emperor, and from there continue to resist the Yuan Dynasty. However, after hearing of Emperor Huaizong's death, Dowager Yang also committed suicide at sea. Zhang Shijie buried her at the shore. He and his remaining soldiers were assumed to have drowned at sea, as a tropical storm whipped up soon afterwards. However, there have been suggestions that his death was simply Mongolian propaganda, since no remains or trace of his fleet were ever found.

As Emperor Huaizong of Song was the last Song emperor, his death effectively ended the Song Dynasty thus leading the House of Zhao, for the first time, to lose control over China after 319 years and unable to recover since. The Yuan Dynasty, under Kublai Khan, had all of China under its control.

A rock was carved in memory of Zhang Hongfan ended the Song Dynasty there. Many temples were built in the surrounding area in memory of those who lost their lives in the dying years of the Song Dynasty, including Wen Tianxiang, Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie. In the 1980s another memorial was built near Shekou to commemorate the boy emperor.

Kublai Khan and his descendants and followers would rule China for 97 years until the rise of the Ming Dynasty under the Hongwu Emperor of the House of Zhu, effectively leading the Chinese regain control of their lost territory from the Mongols.