Hunan Travelogue: Du Fu Riverside Pavilion in Changsha

At 2:10 PM on March 5, 2023, we finished visiting the Li Zijian Art Museum and took bus 222 to arrive at the Du Fu Riverside Pavilion scenic area at 3 PM.

Du Fu Riverside Pavilion is located at West Lake Bridge in the Hedong urban area of Changsha, Hunan Province, at the intersection of the middle section of Xiangjiang Road and West Lake Road. It is part of the Xiangjiang River Scenic Belt along the river. To the east of the pavilion are Tianxin Pavilion, Jia Yi's Former Residence, and the City South Academy (now Hunan First Normal University), all within a kilometer. To the west, it borders the Xiang River and Orange Isle, with a distant view of Yuelu Mountain, making it a cultural landmark of Changsha's 'two banks of the river.' The pavilion is the largest Tang-style wooden structure in Hunan, with a garden area of 11,700 square meters, a building area of 4,640 square meters, and a main pavilion 32 meters high with 7 floors.

According to historical records, in the autumn of the third year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty, Du Fu's friend Wei Zhijin was transferred to be the governor of Tanzhou. Du Fu went to him but Wei died before his arrival. Du Fu, poor and ill, stayed as a guest in Changsha. Initially, Du Fu lived on a boat moored at South Lake Harbor. Near the harbor was a post station pavilion where people saw off friends. Du Fu bid farewell twice to Judge Liu, and wrote poems: 'The old man from Duling moored his boat in autumn, met acquaintances at Changsha post station despite illness,' and 'Another day by the river, the old post station pavilion in Changsha.' Later, he moved to a rented building by the Xiang River, perhaps near Xiaoximen in Changsha, which he called 'Riverside Pavilion.' He wrote poems such as 'Leaning on the railing in the pavilion, listening to thunder, facing the long sky and water patterns' and 'A guest's meals are meager, the river pavilion bed mat is cool.' While at the pavilion, he met Su Huan and wrote 'Presented to Imperial Censor Su Huan': 'Thatched cottage at the gate of Dingwang City, medicinal herbs from old fishermen and merchants.' He also met Li Guinian and wrote: 'How often in the Prince of Qi's mansion, before Cui Jiu's hall I heard you sing. Now it's the finest season in Jiangnan, and I meet you again when flowers fall.' The original pavilion was long gone, but it has been rebuilt on its original site. The sage poet Du Fu, in his later years, stayed twice in Changsha, living in the riverside pavilion, and left over fifty poems in Changsha. To commemorate this great realist poet beloved by generations and a world cultural figure, the Changsha Municipal Government built Du Fu Riverside Pavilion on the Xiangjiang River Scenic Belt. Given that Du Fu Riverside Pavilion was Du Fu's residence for a long period in Hunan, serving as a meeting point between Huxiang culture and Du Fu, and due to Du Fu's deep connection with the place, the pavilion was built as a memorial to Du Fu, located on the Xiangjiang Scenic Belt at the intersection of West Lake Road and Xiangjiang Avenue, forming a cultural corridor with Tianxin Pavilion, Yuelu Mountain, Daolin Temple, and Yuelu Academy.

The pavilion is a seven-story building. The outdoor ground (river embankment) to the eaves is 15.9 meters high, and to the ridge top is about 19.5 meters. The second floor houses the Du Fu Memorial Hall, with a statue of Du Fu in the center. High windows are set at 2.1 meters on the exterior wall, and paintings on the solid walls introduce the poet's life. The fourth floor is the exhibition hall for the sage poet Du Fu. The first floor is a shop for poems, calligraphy, paintings, and souvenirs. The building facade is in traditional Tang-style ancient Chinese architecture, with vermilion pillars, antique lattice windows, and white walls.

Currently, only the second and fourth floors are open for visiting; the rest are not accessible. The riverside scenic belt was dull in the rain, so we hurried through, counting it as a visit. We exited the scenic area at 3:40 PM and walked along the river to Taiping Old Street.

Taiping Old Street is the best-preserved street in Changsha's ancient city, retaining the original street layout. It is located in the central part of Changsha city. The main line is Taiping Street, extending from Wuyi Avenue in the north to Jiefang Road in the south, and from Weiguo Street in the west to Sanxing Street and Santai Street in the east. The key area is the historical block along both sides of Taiping Street, Xipailou, Majia Lane, Fujia Lane, Jinxian Street, and Taifu Lane, covering an area of 5.33 hectares. The fishbone-shaped block has remained unchanged for 200 years, with a total length of 375 meters and a width of no more than 7 meters, covering an area of 12.57 hectares. It is very accessible and is a microcosm of 'old Changsha.' Since the Warring States period when Changsha had a city, it has been the core area, unchanged for over 2,000 years. Within the block, small black tiles, sloping roofs, white tile ridges, fireproof walls, and wooden doors and windows are common features of the residences and shops. Old-style mansions retain more original stone gates, blue brick walls, courtyard courtyards, and railings. The renovated Taiping Street historical and cultural block not only preserves cultural relics and modern historical sites such as Jia Yi's Former Residence, Changhuai Well, the former site of Xipailou of Ming Ji Fan's palace, the former site of the Co-Prosperity Society of the Revolution, and the former site of the Four Righteous Societies, but also revitalizes long-established old brands such as Qian Yisheng Grain Store, Li Sheng Salt Shop, Dongtingchun Tea House, and Yichunyuan Tea House. The main street has 87 shops with a business area of nearly 30,000 square meters, mainly featuring famous old brands, calligraphy and paintings, ethnic handicrafts, cultural leisure industries, and characteristic tourism products.

Since it was already past 4 PM, most of the places open for visiting were closed, so we just strolled along the street, had dinner nearby, then took bus 1 back to the hotel, ending the day's trip.