[2025 Gongyi Attraction] Travel Guide for Hometown of Du Fu (Updated Apr)

Gongyi, Henan, is the place of birth of the poetry sage, Du Fu. The Du Fu Hometown Scenic Area is backed by Mount Bijia and faces the Jiesi River. It features Tang Dynasty-style architecture, with red walls and gray tiles echoing a thousand years of poetic charm. This is not only the inspiration for Du Fu's famous line, "The dew from tonight is white, the moon is bright in my hometown," but also vividly recreates the poet's turbulent life and patriotic feelings through exhibition areas such as the Poetry Sage Hall and the Birth Kiln. The scenic area integrates historical scene restoration, intangible cultural heritage performances, and modern light and shadow technology, making it a benchmark for in-depth experiences of Central Plains culture. --- Travel Guide 🗺️ **Highlights**: 1. **Poetry Sage Hall and Birth Kiln**: The Poetry Sage Hall uses holographic projections and cultural relics to systematically showcase the creative background and ideological context of Du Fu's more than 1,400 poems. The Birth Kiln is Du Fu's place of birth. The kiln is 20 meters deep and completely preserves the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. The entrance is embedded with a Qing Dynasty inscription, "Birthplace of the Poetry Sage." 2. **Mount Bijia and the Si River**: Ascend Mount Bijia and overlook the unique landform of the three peaks resembling a pen holder. The Si River winds below, recreating the imagery from Du Fu's poem, "Autumn wind chills the Chu bamboo, night snow brings spring to Gongyi's plum blossoms." 3. **Night Light Show**: Using the mountain as a backdrop, the scenic area presents the drama "Du Fu's Return" with laser projections, transforming the "Three Officials" and "Three Farewells" into dynamic poetic scrolls. Combined with fireworks and sound effects, it recreates the passage of time from the prosperous Tang Dynasty to the era of war and chaos. **🎫Tickets and Opening Hours**: - **Tickets**: 30 CNY for adults, free for those over 70; guided tours are 60 CNY per session. - **Opening Hours**: Summer 08:00-18:30, Winter 08:00-17:30. It is recommended to allow 3-4 hours for your visit. **🍝Food Recommendations**: Farmhouse restaurants around the scenic area offer Gongyi specialties. Must-tries include **Heluo Tofu** (tender tofu with a secret sauce), **Stewed Noodles** (handmade wide noodles with mutton soup), and **Gongyi Persimmon Vinegar** for a refreshing, sour, and palate-cleansing experience. --- Accommodation Recommendations 🏠 1. **Bijia Mountain Residence**: A 5-minute walk from the south gate of the scenic area, it features a Chinese courtyard design. Rooms are decorated with Du Fu's poetry collections and Heluo paper-cutting artwork. Free Hanfu rental service is available. 2. **Shiyun Inn**: Located on the banks of the Si River, offering panoramic views of Mount Bijia from the windows. At night, you can enjoy the reflection of lights on the river surface. The inn has a tea room and regularly hosts Du Fu poetry reading events. --- Transportation Guide 🚗 - **By Car**: From Zhengzhou, take the Lianhuo Expressway to the Gongyi East exit. Follow the signs to the scenic area for about 15 minutes. Parking is 10 CNY per day. - **Public Transportation**: Take a bus from Zhengzhou Central Bus Station to Gongyi (1.5 hours), then transfer to bus No. 1 or 12 to the scenic area (20 minutes). Whether you're tracing the footsteps of the poetry sage, experiencing intangible cultural heritage crafts, or immersing yourself in the poetic realm of light and shadow, Du Fu's Hometown, with its profound cultural heritage and innovative expression, brings a thousand years of literature to life.🌙

Du Fu's hometown is a key cultural heritage site protected by Henan Province. The great poet was born and buried in Gongyi, and despite his significance, it is not even a national key cultural heritage site. This shows just how many key provincial cultural relics there are in Henan. It ranks second in the nation for above-ground relics and first for underground relics, which is truly impressive. Du Fu's hometown was designated a provincial cultural heritage site in 1963. The original site is believed to have been established during the Qianlong era, marked by the 'Du Fu's Hometown by the Ministry of Works of Tang Dynasty' stone tablet. It includes the courtyard of Du Fu's birth kiln. After years of expansion, the birth kiln has become an inconspicuous corner within the scenic area, which visitors may miss if they do not pay close attention. Outside, new attractions such as Du Gong Temple, Poet Sage Hall, Poet Sage Statue, Yao Pond, Si River, and even a children's playground have been built, transforming the site into the 'Du Fu's Hometown Cultural Park.' Despite the expansion and investment, the kind people of Gongyi have not raised prices excessively, and the ticket price remains at thirty yuan. The Gong County Grottoes, also in Gongyi and a national key cultural heritage site, charge the same modest fee of thirty yuan, which is very conscientious compared to most parts of the country. Upon entering the scenic area through the main gate, the first thing visitors see is the towering statue of Du Fu. After paying respects, crossing the Si River leads to the main buildings of the scenic area, the Poet Sage Hall. The hall features six exhibition rooms that showcase famous works from Du Fu's poetry. Many parents bring their children here to display their educational achievements, and those who do not recite well may receive a scolding. After visiting the Poet Sage Hall, exiting through the small door on the right continues the tour to Yao Pond, surrounded by a newly developed children's playground. The playground is small and not expensive, but it can be very time-consuming. Children often find it hard to leave, so parents with kids should allocate more time for this attraction. To the right of the children's playground is the hidden Du Gong Temple. Passing through the playground, visitors will see the stele erected during the Qianlong era. Continuing forward leads to the core attraction, Du Fu's birth kiln. Previously, visitors could only view it from the outside, but now the kiln door is open, allowing a glimpse inside. Of course, all the kilns in this area belonged to the Du family. Du Fu's great-grandfather, Du Yi Yi, once served as the county magistrate of Gong County, so the family had some wealth. Whether Du Fu was actually born in this particular kiln is something only the Du family knows. To the right of the birth kiln is the Du Fu Life Memorial Hall, which documents his life up to the age of 34. After visiting, continue along the circular route to see the Zhuang You Garden (Three Grand Tours), San You Hall (Sorrowful Chang'an), Huai Xiang Garden (Wandering in the Southwest), and Wan Hui Garden (Eternal Mourning). These exhibition halls, along with the previously seen Du Gong Temple (Serving as an Official) and Zhan Xue Pavilion (Youthful Recklessness), provide a complete depiction of Du Fu's tumultuous life, bringing the poet to life beyond the pages of books. The park's tour route is well designed as a loop, so there is no need to backtrack. The newly built attractions are well presented, but the displays at Du Fu's birth kiln are still the original ones, which have not been updated for many years. Frankly, the level of the displays is quite poor, with worn-out wax figures and backgrounds. The quality is low, and it is recommended that the park management invest in updates to maintain the image of the Poet Sage's hometown.

Du Fu, a household name in China, started his life from the foot of Gongyi Biejia Mountain, traveled to Luoyang, to Chengdu, to the Xiangjiang River in Hunan, and still could not stop his steps. His heart lingered on Luoyang, Chang'an, and even more on the Central Plains and Biejia Mountain, with the loftiness of temples and the vastness of rivers and lakes and the common people. In his poetry, lines such as 'The dew is white from tonight, the moon shines bright in my hometown,' 'The autumn wind chills the bamboo in Chu, the night snow brings spring to Gong's plum blossoms,' 'Sing loudly in the daylight with wine, and it's good to accompany youth back to hometown,' often reveal Du Fu's deep longing for his hometown. So where is Du Fu's hometown? It is actually located in Nanyaowan Village, Zhanjie Town, Gongyi City, Zhengzhou, Henan, which is the place where the poet saint Du Fu was born and spent his childhood, known as the Zhengzhou Du Fu Hometown Scenic Area.