Imperial Edict Stele Commemorating the Completion of River Works

　　In the 13th year of the Zhengtong era (1448) during the Ming Dynasty, the Yellow River burst its banks at Baliu Village in Xinxiang, with floodwaters surging directly toward Zhangqiu Town (now part of Yanggu County, Shandong Province), Shawan (now south of Balimiao Village, Taiqian County, Puyang City), and surrounding areas. The canal waterway was destroyed, and the north-south grain transport artery was nearly severed. The imperial court was greatly alarmed and dispatched successive officials including Wang Yonghe, Vice Minister of Works, and Shi Pu, Minister of Works, to manage the Shawan river section—all efforts ended in failure. In October of the 4th year of the Jingtai era (1453), Emperor JingTai appointed Xu Youzhen as an Associate Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to oversee the restoration of the Shawan river. Upon arriving in Shawan, Xu conducted a detailed survey of the terrain and water conditions. Eventually, drawing on collective wisdom, he innovatively proposed a three-pronged river management strategy: constructing water gates, digging diversion channels, and dredging the main waterway. Once approved by the court, the plan was promptly implemented. For this river project, Xu Youzhen employed a combined approach of dredging, damming, and excavation, using materials numbering in the tens of thousands, mobilizing over 58,000 laborers, and taking nearly two years to complete. The project was finished in the 6th year of the Jingtai era (1455) in July. Afterward, river disasters in Shandong decreased, and the grain transport system flowed smoothly.

　　Upon project completion, Xu Youzhen oversaw the construction of the Shuihe Shrine (Water God Temple) locally (now in Balimiao Village), personally composed the inscription, inscribed the text, and erected the “Imperial Edict Stele Commemorating the Completion of River Works” within the temple. The stele features a dragon-headed top, standing 0.91 meters high, 1 meter wide, and 0.3 meters thick. It is exquisitely carved with a design of two dragons playing with a pearl, with the central seal script in relief reading “Imperial Edict Stele Commemorating the Completion of River Works.” The main body of the stele is 2.2 meters tall, 0.95 meters wide, and 0.28 meters thick; it is surrounded by 0.5-meter-wide cloud-pattern carvings in relief, with the text in running regular script, comprising 31 lines with up to 75 characters per line. The base is a tortoise-shaped pedestal, 1 meter high. The inscription documents the process of river management, manpower used, materials consumed, and the locations where water gates were built. It serves as both a summary of experiences in flood control and water conservancy, and a valuable historical source for later studies on Yellow River management.

　　The text and inscriptions were personally authored and engraved by Xu Youzhen, featuring calligraphy that is upright and graceful, combining softness with strength, and exhibiting excellent artistic rhythm and spirit—holding significant value in the history of Chinese calligraphy.