Du Fu (his real name - though alternatively spelled Tu Fu - not an artist's pseudonym) was a renowned poet by the time he was exiled to Chengdu from Gansu Province just north of Chengdu in 759, at age 47, amidst a period of considerable social upheaval during the Tang (618-907) Dynasty. At Chengdu, Du Fu had a simple cottage constructed on the bank of a small, idyllic brook (Huanhua Brook, or "Flower Bathing Brook"), where he lived and wrote poems during the next four years, the poet's most prolific and creative period.

 

The present-day structure, Du Fu Thatched Cottage (Du Fu Cao Tang) has seen extensive expansion since its original restoration during the Ming (1368-1644) Dynasty. The cottage and its immediate surroundings, a 16-hectare garden park, were designated a National Heritage site in 1961 by the Chinese government. The site contains several interesting structures, including the Hall of Verse History, the Water Platform and Faggot Gate, Gong Bu Temple ("Gong Bu" being Du Fu's official title), the Tablet Pavilion and a replica of the original thatched cottage in which Du Fu lived on the bank of Flower Bathing Brook. There are plaques that hang in halls, from pillars, above gate entrances, etc., on which are inscribed couplets from the collected works of Du Fu. Today, the Thatched Cottage is a pleasant site to have a taste of tea, for there are some teahouses there.  An antique market named "Songxianqiao Arts City" is in the vicinity. The beautiful Flower Bathing Brook Garden is nearby.