Travel in China—Chengdu Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage (Tips, Photos, and Map)

If you’re visiting a major inland city in southwestern China for the first time, Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage should be your top choice for sightseeing in Chengdu.

Du Fu – The Renowned Poet

Du Fu was a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty (712–770 AD). In 758, during the An Lushan Rebellion, Du Fu and his family fled to Chengdu. With the help of friends, he built a thatched cottage by the Flower Stream, where he lived for over four years.

（Depiction of Du Fu）

During his four years in Chengdu, Du Fu wrote 240 poems that are still widely known in China today, including “My Thatched Cottage Is Blown Apart by the Autumn Wind” and “The Shu Prime Minister.” The “Thatched Cottage” period is considered Du Fu’s golden age of creation.

Du Fu Thatched Cottage

After Du Fu left Chengdu, the thatched cottage fell into disrepair. To honor Du Fu, the Five Dynasties poet Wei Zhuang rebuilt the cottage on its original site. Since then, it has been preserved and renovated through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

（Map of Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage）

Today, the Thatched Cottage has been renovated into a museum and park, becoming a popular site for Du Fu enthusiasts from around the world to pay tribute to the poet. In 1961, Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage was listed as a National Cultural Heritage.

How to Get There

Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage is located in the western part of Chengdu’s city center. It is situated in a triangular area with close proximity to the Wuhou Shrine (south), Qingyang Palace (north), and Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage (west).

Ticket Price: 50 RMB
Opening Hours: 08:00–17:30 (Ticket sales stop at 15:00)
Transportation: Take Metro Line 4 and get off at Caotang North Road Station; it’s a short walk from there. Alternatively, take Bus 1024 and get off at Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage Museum Station.
Address: No. 37, Qinghua Road, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province

How to Visit Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage
Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage has three main entrances: the main gate, the south gate, and the north gate. I recommend entering through the south gate and exiting through the north gate.

At the entrance of the garden path, there is a screen wall with the inscription “Thatched Cottage.” In 1958, Mao Zedong took a photograph here, making it a representative tourist attraction.

Flower Path: Du Fu wrote in a poem, “The flower path does not wait for guests.”

After years of development, Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage now covers a larger area and resembles a large park. The garden is lush with bamboo forests, babbling streams, pavilions, towers, ponds, and rockeries. It showcases traditional Chinese culture, particularly the elegance of Chinese gardens.