| Du Fu Thatched Cottage | |
| Map Type: | China Sichuan |
| Location: | Chengdu, Sichuan |
| Website: | Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum website |
Du Fu Thatched Cottage is a park and museum in honour of the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu at the western outskirts of Chengdu, adjacent to the Huanhua Xi (Flower Rinsing Creek). In 1961 the Chinese government made the cottage a National Heritage site.
In 759 Du Fu moved to Chengdu, built a thatched hut near the Flower Rinsing Creek and lived there for four years. The "thatched hut" period was the peak of Du's creativity, during which he wrote 240 poems, among them "My Thatched Hut was torn apart by Autumn Gales[1] " and "The Prime Minister of Shu".
Du Fu Thatched Cottage is now a popular destination for Du enthusiasts around the world to pay tribute to the poet.
Many rich families in ancient China have been donating money for decades to keep this cottage in its best state; being able to donate money was also a sign of wealth and power back then. The donator's name is usually carved on a wall next to the cottage, in order to thank them for this feat. One of the families known to donate money is a branch of the Zhang family, which ruled part of Hubei at the time.
The original thatched hut built by Du was destroyed. Key buildings in the surrounding park were constructed in the early 16th century during the Ming dynasty and extensively renovated in 1811 during the Qing dynasty.
Du Fu Thatched Cottage consists of several areas: