This study explores the dissemination and influence of Emperor Qianlong's imperial poems in Vietnam, analyzing their transmission pathways and the response from Emperor Minh Mạng, thereby examining the Qing-Vietnamese relations under the tributary system.

I. Proclaiming Orthodoxy: The Bestowal of Emperor Qianlong's Imperial Poems to Vietnam

This chapter examines the circumstances of the Qing Dynasty's bestowal of Emperor Qianlong's imperial poems to Vietnam, including the conditions and intentions behind the gifts. Regarding the circumstances, Emperor Qianlong disseminated his imperial poems to Vietnam through two methods: bestowing individual poems and presenting poetry collections. Among these, the poems dedicated to the kings of Vietnam were the most numerous, totaling eight. These were composed on specific occasions, such as the poem bestowed in the 49th year of Qianlong's reign when the Later Lê Dynasty king of Annam sent an envoy to offer birthday congratulations, and the multiple poems bestowed when King Nguyễn Quang Bình of the Tây Sơn Dynasty personally came to pay tribute to repair relations. The presentation of a poetry collection occurred in the 55th year of Qianlong's reign, when Nguyễn Quang Bình received the "Imperial Poetry Collection" during his tribute mission. The intention behind bestowing the poems was to utilize the imperial poetry to showcase the cultural strength of the Qing Dynasty in tributary contexts, proclaim the orthodox status of Han culture, and attempt to consolidate the orthodoxy of Chinese culture within the Sinographic sphere.

II. Cultural Contestation: Emperor Minh Mạng's Evaluation of Qianlong's Poems

This section discusses Nguyễn Dynasty Emperor Minh Mạng's evaluation of Emperor Qianlong's imperial poems, revealing the underlying mindset of cultural contestation. Emperor Minh Mạng believed that Qianlong's poems had many issues, such as not adhering to tonal patterns, using vulgar wording, and instances of ghostwriting, while he himself strived to avoid these problems in hopes of surpassing Qianlong. This evaluation reflects the Nguyễn Dynasty's attempt to contend with the Qing Dynasty culturally and establish its own legitimacy. Emperor Minh Mạng emphasized the orthodox legitimacy of the Nguyễn Dynasty's founding, considering it superior to the Qing's "transformation of Xia by the Yi," and sought to consolidate the "secondary tributary relations" in Indochina through cultural means.

III. The Profound Influence of Emperor Qianlong on Emperor Minh Mạng's Poetic Creation

This chapter delves into the profound influence of Emperor Qianlong on Emperor Minh Mạng's poetic creation through a multidimensional comparison of the two emperors' poetic concepts, compilation and publication processes, poetic themes, and creative characteristics. In terms of creative concepts, both emphasized the function of poetry in recording major national events and people's livelihoods, and did not seek to compete with literati in literary embellishment. Regarding compilation and publication, the original intentions behind collecting their poems were similar, both stemming from "self-amusement" and an "unwillingness to discard" their works. Although both initially refused their ministers' requests for publication, their poetry collections were eventually published and formed a standard. In terms of poetic themes, both emperors valued the "comparing sun and measuring rain" theme and had a large number of poems about major national ceremonies. In creative characteristics, Qianlong's poems featured prosaic language and plain narration, and Minh Mạng's poems showed a similar tendency; Qianlong's poems suffered from severe repetition, and Minh Mạng's poems resembled his in terms of repetitive phrasing and a "comprehensive" pursuit of themes. This mixed and complex response reflects both Vietnam's resistance to cultural orthodoxy and the influence of Chinese culture on Vietnam.

IV. Conclusion: Cultural Contestation Surrounding Imperial Poetry within the Tributary System

This section explores the cultural contestation between the Qing Dynasty and Vietnam surrounding Emperor Qianlong's imperial poems under the tributary system. Although the Qing-Vietnamese tributary relationship was relatively stable politically, at the cultural level, Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mạng's evaluation of Qianlong's poems was complex. It displayed both an attempt to surpass and an influence from Qianlong in his own creation, reflecting the Qing Dynasty's difficulty in gaining complete Vietnamese recognition in terms of cultural orthodoxy. This reveals the disparity between the political and cultural dimensions of the tributary system.