1. Du Fu (February 12, 712-770), also known as Zimei, nicknamed Shaoling Yelao, was a great realist poet in the Tang Dynasty. Together with Li Bai, he was called "Li Du". Born in Gong County, Henan, originally from Xiangyang, Hubei. 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".
2. Du Fu’s poems are characterized by meticulous word refinement and neat counterpoints in rhythm, which is in line with the “architectural beauty” of Chinese poetry. In addition, Du Fu made many innovations in genre. For example, his creativity in the Five and Seven Rhythms is also a unique feature of his literary creation.
3. The core of Du Fu's thoughts is the thought of benevolent government. He has the grand ambition of "bringing the emperors Yao and Shun to the throne, and then making the customs pure." Although Du Fu was not well-known during his lifetime, he later became famous and had a profound impact on both Chinese and Japanese literature. About 1,500 poems by Du Fu have been preserved, most of which are collected in "Du Gongbu Collection".
4. 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 Thatched Cottage.
5. Du Fu is not only famous in China, but also famous overseas. In 1481, South Korea translated Du's poems into Korean and called it "Explanation of Du's Poems and Proverbs". His influence on Japanese literature was relatively late, and until the seventeenth century he was as famous in Japan as he was in China. Du Fu had a particularly profound influence on Matsuo Basho. Du Fu is also the favorite writer of American writer Kenneth Rexroth.