Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum

Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum in Chengdu honors the renowned Tang dynasty poet Du Fu, who lived here in 759 AD. The museum showcases a reconstructed thatched cottage, exhibitions on Du Fu’s life and works, and beautiful gardens along the Huanhua Xi. It’s a serene spot for visitors to explore Chinese literary heritage and enjoy tranquil surroundings.

Planning your visit

Du Fu is arguably the greatest poet in the Chinese language, and this is where he lived when he wrote some of his best work. Fleeing the An Lushan rebellion, he arrived in Chengdu in 759 and built a thatched cottage by the Huanhua stream, staying about four years and producing over 240 poems there — including the famous piece about the autumn wind tearing the roof from his hut, which turns from personal complaint into a wish for shelter for all the world's poor scholars.

The cottage was rebuilt centuries later and the site is now a large garden park: a reconstructed thatched dwelling, memorial halls, stone tablets carved with poems, bamboo groves, plum trees and water. Exhibition halls cover his life, the Tang context and his reception across Chinese literary history.

For Chinese visitors this is close to a pilgrimage. For others, the appeal is partly the poetry and substantially the gardens, which are among the most peaceful spaces in a large and noisy city.

Bookable options are entry tickets, including formats bundling the cottage with other Chengdu sites. Reading a few of the Chengdu poems in translation beforehand transforms the visit — without them, it is a pleasant park. Current availability is shown below.