Exhibits at Du Fu Thatched Cottage
Du Fu (712-770AD) was born in Gongyi City, Henan Province in 712. He used to be an official in Chang'an (present Xi'an), the capital of the Tang dynasty. 10 years later, a rebellion broke out at the end of the Tang dynasty, Du Fu fled to Chengdu in 759. With the help of friends, the thatched cottage was built in 760. He stayed there for four years. During these four years, he composed more than 240 poems that are considered to be precious national treasures.
After Du Fu's departure from Chengdu, the cottage was abandoned for a long time and became dilapidated. Hundreds of years later in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) a new temple was built on the original site of the thatched cottage to commemorate this outstanding person in Chinese literature. From then on, it was renovated and enlarged repeatedly.
The Thatched Cottage of Du Fu covers a total area of 24 hectares (about 59 acres), and is the combination of both Fan'an Temple in the east, and the Plum Garden in the west. Inside the thatched cottage: gardens are quiet; streams are winding; bridges and pavilions are interwoven. Classical architectural styles will bring you a strong cultural atmosphere. Du Fu Thatched Cottage is seen as Chinese the "holy land" on the literary history. You can taste the flavor of the classical literary of China.