Du Fu Thatched Cottage Travel Guide
Mao's Former Residence · Dayatang · Garden
Du Fu Thatched Cottage is the former residence of Du Fu during his stay in Chengdu, and it is now a fairly large commemorative garden. The core is the restored thatched house, while the rest consists of ancestral halls and garden landscapes built in successive dynasties.
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Destination Details
Du Fu entered Shu during the second year of the Qianyuan era under Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty and built a thatched cottage along the banks of Huanhua Creek in the western suburbs of Chengdu, where he lived for nearly four years and wrote more than 240 poems. The cottage has been repeatedly renovated over the generations and is now the Thatched Cottage Museum, covering more than 200,000 square meters.
Key Highlights
Thatched Cottage Residence
A thatched residential building restored according to Du Fu's poetry, consisting of one hall and two rooms with a courtyard, featuring a simple layout. The nearby bamboo grove and vegetable plots have been intentionally preserved, appearing just as described in his poems.
Dayatang and Shishitang
Dayatang displays statues of Du Fu and large relief sculptures, while Shishitang focuses mainly on his poems and calligraphy. The hall names come from the phrase "discarding false forms and embracing genuine elegance."
Gardens
The garden section of the cottage is representative of Chengdu gardens: nanmu trees, bamboo, water pavilions, and winding galleries, with the shade being densest in summer.
Suggested Duration of Visit
- 1.5 hours: Main route – Thatched Cottage.
- Half a day: Add Huanhua Creek Park.
Local Tips
- There are many mosquitoes in the garden, so bring repellent in summer.
- This site can be combined with Wuhou Shrine and Qingyang Palace for a day tour of western Chengdu.
