Today's itinerary was particularly meaningful. We followed Teacher Liu into Du Fu's Thatched Cottage and strolled through it. Every brick and tile was imbued with Du Fu's deep love for his country and family. Teacher Liu's explanations were excellent, lively, and engaging, allowing the children to follow along closely. We learned about the poet's turbulent life, from his early years filled with lofty ambitions to his middle age, when he experienced the An-Shi Rebellion and displacement. His poetry gradually shifted from expressing personal ambition to deeply descriptive portrayals of social realities and the suffering of ordinary people. Each poem truly captured that turbulent era. We felt as if we were immersed in the turbulent times of the Tang Dynasty, experiencing Du Fu's joys, sorrows, and anger. The simple wooden gate and the solemn and awe-inspiring Temple of the Ministry of Works were awe-inspiring. Here, we learned that Du Fu had been awarded the title of "Reviewer of the Ministry of Works." Huang Tingjian and Lu You are enshrined on either side of Du Fu's statue within the temple. All three of them were dedicated to the art of poetry, and their legacy lives on today.
The most anticipated attraction is the thatched cottage area. This recreated thatched cottage, where Du Fu once lived, depicted the simple furnishings of a mansion where "there was no dry place by the bed, and the rain fell like hemp, but it never stopped." Du Fu's life was truly harrowing, yet despite this, he still managed to express his profound concern for the world by expressing his desire for a thousand mansions, "To shelter all the poor and the poor, and to bring them joy." This compassion for the world deeply moved the students. They gathered together, diligently filling out study guides and sharing their understanding of Du Fu's poetry, appreciating the poetry's charm and the poet's greatness through this exchange. Studying at Du Fu's Thatched Cottage not only allowed us to understand Du Fu's life and poetry, but also, through the interplay of history and present, to appreciate the profoundness of China's fine traditional culture.