1. Origin:
1. Du Fu Thatched Cottage in Chengdu was the residence of Du Fu, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty in China, when he lived in Chengdu. In the winter of 759 AD, in order to avoid the "Anshi Rebellion", Du Fu and his family entered Shu from Longyou (now southern Gansu Province) and came to Chengdu. In the spring of the following year, with the help of friends, he built a thatched hut on the banks of the picturesque Huanhua Creek in the western suburbs of Chengdu. In the spring of the next year, the thatched cottage was completed and was called "Chengdu Thatched Cottage". His poem "There is a thatched cottage west of Wanli Bridge, and the water of Baihuatan is like Canglang" ("Crazy Man") refers to the Chengdu thatched cottage. He lived here for nearly four years. Because he was awarded the title of "Yuanwailang of the School Inspection and Works Department", he was also called the Du Gongbu. In 765, Yan Wu died of illness, and Du Fu, who had lost his only support, had to say goodbye to Chengdu with his family. Two years later, he lived in Jing, Hunan and other places via the Three Gorges.
2. After Du Fu left Chengdu, the thatched cottage ceased to exist. The poet Wei Zhuang of the former Shu Dynasty in the Five Dynasties found the ruins of the thatched cottage and rebuilt the thatched cottage to preserve it. Du Fu’s thatched cottage was preserved through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and It was restored many times in the Qing Dynasty. The two largest reconstructions were in 1500 AD (the 13th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty) and 1811 AD (the 16th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty). This basically established the scale, layout and evolution of Du Fu's Thatched Cottage. It has become a museum integrating the layout of the memorial ancestral hall and the style of the poet's former residence. It is a famous cultural holy place with simple and elegant architecture and quiet and beautiful gardens. In March 1961, it was announced by the State Council as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In May 1985, the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum was established. In December 2006, it was rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration. In May 2008, it was designated by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. It was rated as one of the first batch of national first-class museums. Chengdu Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum is the largest, best-preserved, most distinctive and well-known of the existing relics of Du Fu's whereabouts.
3. Today’s thatched cottage is simple and elegant, with a grand scale, covering an area of ??more than 300 acres. Among them, there are three main monumental buildings, Daxi, Shishi Hall and Gongbu Temple, located on the central axis, which are deep and quiet. The halls are surrounded by corridors, which is unique and interesting. In front of the temple, there is a flower path in the east and a water sill in the west. The back of the temple is dotted with pavilions, platforms, pools and pavilions, creating another scene. In the garden, there are fragrant phoebe trees that block out the sun, a plum garden that welcomes spring with proud frost, an orchid garden that is overflowing with fragrance, and lush green bamboos and pines that are as dense as clouds. The entire temple is both poetic and picturesque. It is a famous garden that combines humanistic landscapes with natural landscapes.
2. Introduction to Du Fu
Du Fu (712 AD - 770 AD), courtesy name Zimei, Han nationality, native of Xiangyang, was born in Gong County, Henan Province. Called himself Shaoling Yelao, he was a great realist poet in the Tang Dynasty. Together with Li Bai, he was known as "Li Du". In order to distinguish them from the other two poets Li Shangyin and Du Mu, known as "Little Li Du", Du Fu and Li Bai are also collectively known as "Big Li Du", and Du Fu is often called "Old Du".
Du Fu had a profound influence on Chinese classical poetry. He was called the "Sage of Poetry" by later generations, and his poems were called the "History of Poetry". Later generations called him Du Shiyi and Du Gongbu, and also called him Du Shaoling and Du Caotang.