Travel

Chinese poet Du Fu’s 8th century thatched cottage in downtown Chengdu China

KCBX | By Tom Wilmer

Published February 11, 2017 at 2:22 AM PST

1 of 11

Du Fu's restored 8th century cottage

Thomas Wilmer

2 of 11

Du Fu's thatched roof

Thomas Wilmer

3 of 11

Peaceful bamboo and pond create quietude

Thomas Wilmer

4 of 11

Tranquil garden setting shrouded in bamboo

Thomas Wilmer

5 of 11

sleepy garden zone near Du Fu Cottage

Thomas Wilmer

6 of 11

Park edice houses luminaries from past

Thomas Wilmer

7 of 11

Memorializing leaders of the past

Thomas WIlmer

8 of 11

Memorializing leaders of the past

Thomas Wilmer

9 of 11

Elegant tile design at Du Fu Cao Tang Park tile roof

Thomas Wilmer

10 of 11

Mavis Liu Mei

Thomas Wilmer

11 of 11

Statue of Chinese poet Du Fu in Chengdu

Thomas Wilmer

Street Side outer wall of Du Fu Cao Tang Park

In the heart of the Chengdu metropolis of 14 million souls--one step through an archway just off a main arterial and the urban cacophony is silenced inside the tranquil Du Fu Cao Tang 24-acre park. Lush bamboo forests, towering trees and ponds serve as soothing backdrops for the numerous shrines honoring Chinese kings, princesses, ministers, generals, and poets from the past 1,800 years.

Off in a far corner, there’s a thatched cottage surrounded by ponds and a forest of bamboo. The revered Chinese poet Du Fu lived in this Chengdu cottage 1,200 years ago. Join local, Mavis Liu Mei as she talks about Chengdu’s urban park and poet Du Fu.