What is it about great writers that prevent their work from being appreciated while they lived. Du Fu one of the greatest poets of his time suffered in great poverty and was forced to leave his original dwelling place in Gansu and move to a small and ghastly hut on the outskirts of Chengdu. This Tang dynasty poet suffered miserably due to poverty. Born in 712 AD this great poet moved into the cottage in 759 AD and lived here for about four years. He wrote 240 poems which were all based on different problems and miseries that people go through. None of his work was appreciated while he lived. It was only after his death that the poet got his due. The thatched cottage where Du Fu lived was lost in time but to celebrate his life and his work a park was created here and a replica of the hut where he lived was also erected. This garden lies near the flower bathing brook on the western side of Chengdu.

It was much later during the Song dynasty that the cottage area was converted into a temple to honor this great poet. Later during the Ming and Qing dynasties great renovations as well as extensions were made to the place. Today the thatched cottage of Du fu spreads over 59 lavish acres, a luxury that was unimaginable by the great poet. The section is a combination of the Fan’an temple as well as the plum gardens. Most of the construction is done in typical Qing era style. There are lavish gardens in oriental compound styles with lovely small streams and pavilions constructed all over. The landscaping is impeccable with typical Chinese plantation adorning the entire 59 acres. The flora of the thatched cottage of Du Fu is so well planned that at all through the year one gets to see lovely blossoms may they be plum flower, lotus, chrysanthemum or orchids. Another great example of how well planned and perfectly balanced gardens were created by the ancient oriental clans.

There are two main statues of Du fu to be seen here. One is a rather large sculpture in bronze of the great poet and the other is a clay statue which is situated in the Gong Bu temple. Both were built in the Qing era and are greatly respected today. The place is considered holy by all those who wish to learn and understand Chinese literature. Many tourists come from far off places just to read and know more about this great poet. The halls in within the building carry works of the great poet and is a major attraction for scholars who come here to research Du Fu’s work. There are poems and calligraphies of other famous writes too. In the world of Chinese literature this is the highest temple of all. Those who can understand the language are free to read his work directly while translations are available for those who do not understand the script.

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