For a time during a very chaotic era in Chinese history, the poet Du Fu (712-770) lived in Chengdu. For five years, he lived in a thatched cottage in the city and wrote some of his most important work here. Today, that location is a national site to commeorate Du Fu and a host of other great Chinese poets. The thateched cottage has been reconstructed since it features in many of the poet's poems written during what is known as his Chengdu period.
Poetry always suffers in translation. But here is a short poem by Du Fu. It is about Zhuge Liange, the statesman who is remembered in the Wuhou Shrine along with the King Liu Bei that is earlier in this blog:
Zhu-ge's great name
hangs over the whole world;
the revered statesman's portrait
awes with its sublimity.
The empire carved into thirds
hindered his designs,
yet he soars through the ages,
a lone feather in the sky.
He is brother to such greats
as Yi Yin and Lu Shang;*
if he had established control,
Xiao and Cao would be forgotten.
But the cycle had passed; Han fortunes
could not be restored.
His military strategy a failure,
his hopes dashed, his body perished.
The nicest thing about Du Fu's cottage is not the cottage but the beautiful gardens that surround it. They contain many pavilions and paths and statues. Other poets as well as Du Fu are featured
.
Above is a statue of Du Fu in the main courtyard at the entrance. At bottom, in order, Du Fu's reconstructed thatched cottage; a garden where much of Du Fu's poetry is on display; the next two photos are of Du Fu's poetry on display, much of it in calligraphy; next is Du Fu's study; the next photos are of scenes throughout the garden; at bottom is a photo of two young Chinese who befriended me while I was wandering the place. The guy spoke passable English.
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