Tablet of the River-Crossing Ci Poem

Tablet of the River-Crossing Ci Poem

The Tablet of the River-Crossing Ci Poem is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The “Tablet of the River-Crossing Ci Poem” is located in Xijiecun Village, Kangcun Town, Huojia County, Henan Province, and is one of the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Henan Province. The tablet was erected during the Ming Dynasty and is inscribed with 169 characters in running script across nine lines, comprising the ci poem and the author’s signature. The inscription was written by Xia Yan of the Ming Dynasty when he accompanied Emperor Jiajing on his southern inspection tour, documenting the emperor’s crossing of the river. In the form of a “Ci,” it depicts the landscape and the grand occasion at that time.

The Tablet of the River-Crossing Ci Poem, dating back to the Ming Dynasty, features a turtle pedestal and has an overall height of 4.18 meters. It is rectangular in shape, with the main body of the tablet standing 3.45 meters tall, 1.32 meters wide, and 0.66 meters thick. The turtle that supports the tablet is 0.73 meters high. The tablet is situated 17.5 kilometers south of Huojia County’s county seat, along the north side of the central road in Xijiecun Village, Kangcun Town. In November 1986, it was designated as part of the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Henan Province by the Henan Provincial People's Government.

The tablet contains nine full lines of text in running script, with characters measuring between 10 to 15 centimeters, totaling 169 characters. Two-thirds of the text is a ci poem, and one-third consists of the author’s commentary and signature. It was written by Xia Yan, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Ming Cabinet, in the 18th year of the Jiajing reign (1539), in the third month, when he personally accompanied the 12th Ming Emperor, Shizong Zhu Houcong, on a southern inspection tour to worship the Yellow River and visit Mount Song. The text was composed on the day of the imperial crossing of the Yellow River. The inscription reads as follows:

“The winding Yellow River—what earthly or celestial thing could it be? West it flows from Kunlun, east to the sea, never meeting a solid wall. It surges through the Three Gorges, rushes past the Stone Pile, Waves carry snow from the Bashan Mountains. The Yangtze stretches ten thousand li, A majestic force dividing heaven and earth. I followed the imperial procession on its southern tour, Dragon boats and phoenix barges setting forth at noon. Banners lined the shores, Armored cavalry gleamed on the water, Their armor flashing bright and dim. Gazing down at the Central Plains, Looking afar to Mount Tai, A wisp of green like a strand of hair. What a magnificent spectacle— The grand event of the Jiajing reign, third month of the year of Ji Hai.”

To the right, I present a ci poem modeled after Su Dongpo’s “The Great River Flows East,” which I submitted for imperial perusal on the day of the river crossing. I have inscribed and left it here by the river to mark the passage of time.

Presented by Xia Yan, Duke of Guanglu, Senior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, concurrently Grand Tutor, Minister of Rites, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, Director of the Imperial Edict Bureau and National History Compilation, from Guixi.

This tablet was erected to document an event and serves to supplement official historical records. The text is a ci poem composed by Xia Yan and presented to the emperor on the day of the imperial river crossing, set to the tune “The Great River Flows East.” The poem is vigorous and majestic in style. The author uses the form of a ci to blend reality with romanticism, artistically portraying the grandeur of the motherland’s landscapes and the magnificent scene of Emperor Jiajing’s southern inspection tour and river crossing. The running script calligraphy, along with the poem, annotations, and signature, are integrated seamlessly, arranged with natural spacing and a pleasing layout, making it highly valuable for appreciation.

Kangcun Town: Located 17 kilometers south of Huojia County’s county seat, Kangcun Town lies at the junction of Huojia, Xinxiang, and Yuanyang counties. The town covers a total area of 56.4 square kilometers, governs 23 administrative villages, 120 villager groups, and has a population of 42,800.

Kangcun Town has a long history. According to the county annals, it was named after Chen Kang, a disciple of Confucius, who died here. During the Ming Dynasty, a post station was established here, hence it was also called Kangcun Post. In the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the post station was abolished and the area was renamed Kangcun Town. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it successively functioned as a district and then a township government. In 1986, it was officially upgraded to a town with provincial approval. In 1995, it was... [More details about Kangcun Town]++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Henan Province