#Hometown of Du Fu Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)
Famous Residences
Address:
Middle Section of Dufu Qianjie, Station Street Town, Gongyi City (Nan Yaowan Village)
Opening times:
Opens at 09:00-17:30(Admission ends at 17:00)Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
2-3 hour
Phone:
0371-56905601,0371-56905566
Paying homage to Du Fu's hometown
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.
ZELDA BARKER
Du Fu'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.