Two poems composed by Emperor Thieu Tri about the scenic spots of Nghe An province.

(Baonghean)King Thieu Tri (real name Nguyen Phuc Mien Tong), reigned as the third king of the Nguyen dynasty. He was not only famous for being a benevolent ruler and diligent in his administration, but also for his literary talent. He traveled extensively and composed many famous works that are still preserved today. Among them are two poems inscribed on stone tablets praising the beauty of Nghe An's mountains and rivers during a tour of the North…

On the day of Giáp Thân, in the second month of the year Nhâm Dần, the second year of the Thiệu Trị reign, during his "Royal Northern Tour," King Thiệu Trị traveled by boat from the Đại Nại River past Hồng Lĩnh Mountain. Seeing the beautiful and poetic scenery, he summoned Vũ Đức Nhu, the provincial official of Hà Tĩnh, to inquire about this famous landmark. After hearing the legend of Hồng Lĩnh Mountain, the king, inspired by the scene, composed the poem "Hồng Lĩnh" and had it inscribed on a stele erected at the foot of Hồng Lĩnh Mountain in Tiếp Vũ commune, Can Lộc district, now Hồng Lĩnh town, Hà Tĩnh province.

This stele measures 120cm x 64cm. Inside, it is inscribed a seven-word, eight-line Tang Dynasty-style poem, interspersed with smaller inscriptions explaining the legend of Huong Tich Pagoda and the origin of the name of Hong Linh Mountain. The final section indicates the date the stele was erected. The entire inscription consists of 11 lines and 189 characters. The original Chinese text is tentatively translated as follows:

Hong Linh

Ninety-nine tall peaks are skillfully arranged.
Towering layers reaching the sky and clouds.
The ancient Huong Tich Pagoda still stands today.
How many people were truly worthy of the reign of King Trang?
Legend says that wild cranes return to the mountains.
The crimson phoenix spreads its wings and comes here.
Majestic mountains embrace the azure sky.
A strip of blue, a strip of clouds
Auspicious day in the twelfth month of the 2nd year of the Thiệu Trị reign.
I composed a poem for you. Respectfully engraved.
(Translated by Tran Tu Quang)

Pink Mountain, Lam River

After completing his investiture ceremony in Hanoi, King Thieu Tri and his courtiers returned to the capital, Hue. While passing along the Iron Canal in what is now Dien An commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An province, the king, captivated by the picturesque scenery, composed the poem "Iron Canal" praising its beauty and recounting the mysterious legend surrounding its creation. The poem was inscribed on a stone stele placed on the eastern bank of the Iron Canal, in Tap Phuc commune, Dong Thanh district, now Dien An commune, Dien Chau district.

Over 171 years, through the ups and downs and vicissitudes of history, this stele fell into oblivion and was only preserved in historical records. In 2007, during a field trip, the Nghe An Han-Nom Club discovered this stele at the foot of So Mountain, only about 10 meters from the edge of National Highway 1A. The entire stele was covered by thorny bushes and thickets, so it was unaffected by the external environment and remained completely intact. The stele measures 63 x 106 cm.

Because this is a royal inscription, it is carved with extreme precision and a much higher level of artistic decoration than other inscriptions. The top of the stele is carved with the face of the demon Rahu, surrounded by images of clouds and mist. The border of the stele is carved with flowers and leaves, looking very graceful and elegant. In our assessment, the Thiet Cang stele is the most beautiful and intact stele in Nghe An province today. Similar to the "Hong Linh" stele, the "Thiet Cang" stele is inscribed with a seven-word, eight-line Tang Dynasty-style poem interspersed with annotations about related events. The poem is in large letters, while the annotations are in smaller letters.

The first part consists of two introductory and two descriptive lines, followed by a commentary on the history of the formation and origin of the name of the Iron Canal. The second part contains two argumentative lines and a commentary on the canal's current state. The third part consists of two concluding lines and the final line of the commentary. The last part records the date the stele was erected in the second year of the Thieu Tri reign (1842) and a commentary stating that the stele was personally composed by Emperor Hien To Chuong. The entire stele consists of 14 lines and 286 characters. A tentative translation is as follows:

Iron Canal

Embracing countless mountains flowing around
I heard that in ancient times, creation was the work of nature.
Iron ore mine, molten rock, cliff face
By divine intervention, a temporary opening was made to clear the canal.
Mysterious and difficult to decipher, strange divine mechanism.
The calmer one is, the more one believes in the ways of the world.
The mountains of Lung Thuc are incomparable.
But leveling it completely is quite a feat.
Auspicious day in the twelfth month of the 2nd year of the Thiệu Trị reign.
I composed a poem for you. Respectfully engraved.
(Translated by Bui Van Chat)

Over 171 years, these two steles stand as the clearest evidence of Emperor Hien To Chuong's tour of the land, and also represent the pride of a land rich in culture and scenic beauty. These are highly valuable works of literature, history, and sculpture, and are also imperial creations of a famous emperor. Nghe An province is proud to possess such precious heritage that not every locality has.

Currently, the stele has been moved and is protected by a spacious and sturdy stele house located not far from its original position, right next to National Highway 1A.

Tran Tu Quang (Nghe An Provincial Library)