The Dajin Deshengtuo Eulogy Stele was erected by Emperor Wanyan Yong, the fifth monarch of the Jin Dynasty (Emperor Shizong), in memory of his grandfather Emperor Taizu Wanyan Aguda, the outstanding Jurchen chieftain. It commemorates how Aguda assembled his clansmen here to swear an oath of rebellion against the Liao Dynasty, and eventually conquered the Liao and founded the Jin Empire.

The entire stele stands 3.2 metres tall and consists of three parts: the stele head, the stele shaft and the stone base. Four intertwined carved flood dragons adorn the stele head. The dragons twist around one another with heads hanging down, round staring eyes and vivid whiskers carved down to the finest details, looking incredibly lifelike. In the vacant centre among the coiled dragon bodies on the front face, six seal characters are inscribed: Eulogy of Deshengtuo in the Great Jin. The left and right edges of the stele shaft are decorated with intaglio honeysuckle scroll patterns. The front bears 815 Chinese characters of the inscription, while the reverse side contains more than 1,500 large Jurchen characters. The base is a tortoise-shaped bixi plinth, measuring 160 cm in length, 72 cm in height and 97 cm in width.

Written by Imperial Edict: Zhao Ke, Censor-in-Chief, Hanlin Compiler, Assistant Director of the Secretariat, Doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Cavalry Commandant, recipient of the silver fish tally. Written in stone by Imperial Edict: Sun Hou, Gentleman of the Confucian Academy, Magistrate of Qing’an County in Xianping Prefecture, Military Cavalry Commandant, recipient of the silver fish tally. Seal calligraphy for the title by Imperial Edict: Dang Huaiying, Gentleman Attendant of the Hanlin Academy, Assistant Director of the Secretariat, Compiler of the National History Academy, Cloud Cavalry Commandant, recipient of the silver fish tally.

Deshengtuo was the site where Emperor Wuyuan (Taizu) rallied his troops and swore the military oath. According to the Veritable Records and the stele "Divine Virtue and Divine Achievement": Emperor Taizu led his army across the Lailiu River and ordered all contingents to gather here first. He ascended a high mound. Prime Minister Sagai and other followers looked up and beheld the emperor, towering like a tall pine. His chestnut-white steed appeared as massive as a hill. When the emperor glanced at Sagai and the other men and horses, he saw that they too were unusually tall and imposing. "This is an auspicious omen," he declared. "Heaven and earth bear witness that our army shall defeat the foe. Let us unite with one heart. If we accomplish our great undertaking, we shall meet here again and pour a libation to name this place." The site was hence named Deshengtuo — Mound of Victory. Divination rituals were held among the troops. The soldiers stood fully armed in formation. Radiance stretched for thousands of li, and the victory was foretold once more.

In the Jiachen year of the Dading reign, the imperial carriage journeyed eastward and halted at the Upper Capital. The filial grandson reflected on the hardships endured by Emperor Wuyuan in founding the dynasty and resolved to glorify his ancestor’s achievements. First, he ordered a new portrait statue to preserve the sovereign’s solemn dignity. Next, he commissioned a stone monument to praise the brilliant imperial feats. Out of endless remembrance for his forebear, he spared no effort to glorify this great legacy.

In the fourth month of the following year, the imperial court instructed the prime minister’s office to deliberate on commemorating Deshengtuo. The ministers consulted ritual officials. They cited precedents: Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang built the Hall of Uprising Oath stele in Taiyuan and the Ode to the Old Palace in Shangdang to celebrate imperial merit. Following this model, carving an eulogy and erecting a memorial building to honour the sacred deeds would be entirely fitting. The prime minister reported this proposal, and the emperor issued an edict: "Approved."

As a scholar serving in the Hanlin Academy, I am bound to chronicle triumphs and depict noble virtues. I bow twice, knock my forehead to the ground, and present this text:

When the Liao fell into misrule, evil spread to heaven. Heaven turned eastward and gave birth to our Wuyuan Emperor.

O glorious ancestor, blessed by heaven’s mandate. You executed heaven’s punishment and displayed divine martial might.

Along the winding riverbank, the rolling mound rises. You assembled your host, each man gripping his spear.

Troops from all prefectures gathered below. You reviewed the six armies and foretold the enemy’s doom.

Your decrees blazed like thunder and lightning. Your warriors stood fierce as bears and grizzlies.

First the emperor climbed the high mound. Heaven sent forth portents that astonished every witness.

All gazed up at the sovereign, tall as a lofty pine. His steed loomed large as a mountain ridge.

He looked at his retinue: men and horses all bore extraordinary stature. "This is a fine omen — the sign of coming victory."

Since ancient times, divination and defensive charms have been recorded in the I Ching. Our army surged like clouds, spears and armour closely ranked. Divine flames blazed bright as ten thousand torches.

Heaven reveals its will through clear omens. When a nation is destined to rise, auspices shall surely appear.

King Wu of Zhou marched clad in armour as a comet streaked toward the royal palace. When Emperor Gaozu of Han drew his sword, the White Spirit wailed through the night.

These were true tokens of heavenly destiny. No slander can obscure the manifest will of heaven.

The omens of victory shone bright as the midday sun. Even the surviving elders of the Jin recounted this tale with delight.

Our present emperor, the great-great-grandson of Wuyuan, spreads civilisation across north and south, his virtue equal to the earliest sage kings.

His six-horse carriage came to this ancient homeland. Here the rivers and mountains still stand unchanged.

He remembers the toils of his heroic ancestor, who braved wind and rain to achieve this mighty founding.

The sacred portrait was renewed; the imperial achievement shall be eternally honoured. Yet filial remembrance never fades.

This Deshengtuo Mound was named by our forefather. By imperial order, its story shall be sung in this eulogy.

Great kings leave enduring renown. Our wise sovereign perpetuates the ancestral legacy.

The imperial mandate spans a thousand years in perfect accord. Side by side with the Zhou and Han dynasties, the Jin shall be remembered for all ages.

Erected on the 28th day of the seventh month, the 25th year of the Dading reign.

When Wanyan Aguda, Emperor Taizu of the Jin, raised the banner of revolt against the Liao, he chose this very spot to gather his generals and soldiers. He picked an advantageous terrain to lay the foundation of his state, a testament to the farsighted vision of this heroic ruler.

The monument stands on a plain covering roughly thirty square kilometres, once covered with marshes and luxuriant water plants. To the northwest, two arch-shaped cliffs rising fifty metres high form a natural defensive barrier. The Songhua River lies to the north and the Lalin River to the east, forming formidable natural moats. This location stood right on the border between the Liao Empire and the Jurchen tribes. Huanglongfu (present-day Nong’an), a major Liao city, was sixty kilometres to the south across the Songhua River. Ningjiang Prefecture (today’s Boduna Township), a strategic northern Liao garrison, was merely a hundred li to the west. From here, the army could launch swift offensives westward or hold firm on the defensive. The elevated terrain was also ideal for drilling troops, making it an outstanding natural military training ground in ancient times.

Standing here today and gazing across the land, one can still picture the spectacular oath-taking ceremony: clashing weapons, forests of spears, and the whole host answering the leader’s call with one voice.

The stele was erected by Emperor Shizong of Jin in 1185, the 25th year of the Dading reign. For more than 800 years, it broke twice and was twice rejoined and restored. Despite repeated damage over the centuries, the monument has survived intact thanks to successive protection and restoration carried out by the Party and the government. In 1987, it was designated a national key cultural relic under state protection. This rare treasure will endure for posterity, shining brightly through the ages.