Factors affecting the emergence and development of Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage

1. Geographical environment

Du Fu Thatched Cottage is located on the bank of Huanhua Creek in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. It was originally the place where the famous poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty lived in Chengdu to avoid the Anshi Rebellion. The Sichuan area is surrounded by mountains and plains, and has a relatively closed topography. The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. There is a saying that "the road to Shu is difficult, and it is difficult to reach the blue sky" (Li Bai's "The Road to Shu is Difficult"). Located in the subtropical monsoon climate zone, the climate is relatively mild. The land within the territory is fertile, with rich plant species and many natural mountains and rivers. Therefore, it has a superior ecological environment. The poet Li Bai once commented: "The water is green and the sky is dusty, and the scenery is warmer than the three Qin Dynasties" (Li Bai's "Ten Songs of Nanjing" No. 9). Due to the climate with little sunshine and lots of rain, the building colors are light or neutral in black, white and gray. The building is mainly open and transparent in terms of plane function and facade shape, with long eaves. Dujiangyan diverted the two rivers, which led to the rapid development of Sichuan's farming economy and reached the peak of ancient agricultural civilization. "Huayang Guozhi" said: "Three counties were irrigated and rice fields were opened, so Sichuan was fertile and wild for thousands of miles, known as land and sea. When droughts were infiltrated, water was diverted to infiltrate the rain. Then Du Sai Shui Gate comes from the floods and droughts, and people do not know how to be hungry. There is no shortage of years, and the world calls it the Mansion of Heaven." Coupled with the geographical environment that can maintain exchanges with the Central Plains and is less affected by war, Sichuan gradually became the center of economic and political development in ancient times. "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Wei Xiao Gongsun Shu" records: "The land of Shu is thousands of miles fertile, the soil is rich, and the fruits are grown without grain. The industry of female workers covers the world. The famous bamboo stems and the tools are incomparable. . It also has the advantages of fish, salt, copper and silver, and the convenience of floating water. "Sichuan's economy reached its peak during the Tang and Song Dynasties. The superior natural environment and prosperous economy provide a solid material foundation for the development of gardens in western Sichuan.

2. Respect literature and value education

Sichuan’s prosperous economy and stable political environment provide favorable conditions for the prosperity of culture. There are “poets have come to Shu since ancient times, and Wen Zong has emerged from ancient times.” Bashu" theory. Since Wenweng of the Western Han Dynasty came to Shu to run schools, education and culture in western Sichuan began to develop. The culture of respecting literature in all walks of life gradually grew, "taking poetry and writing as a profession, focusing on the literature of the hometown, and lighting lamps at night to recite and listen to each other." Fu Zhenshang of the Ming Dynasty believed: "Although Shu is in a remote corner, articles have been flourishing since the Han and Jin Dynasties." Respecting literature and valuing education has become the cultural psychology and spiritual pursuit of the local people. There has been a situation where "those in Shu who learned from the capital are better than those in Qi and Lu", and "the prosperity of literati cannot flourish in Shu". It produced outstanding figures such as Sima Xiangru in the Han Dynasty, Li Bai and Chen Ziang in the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi in the Song Dynasty, Yang Shen and Xue Tao in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At the same time, the people of Sichuan accepted a large number of literati and officials living and living in Sichuan with an open mind, such as Wang Wei, Gao Shi, Du Fu, Lu You, Li Deyu, etc. They left stories and achievements worthy of eternal praise in Sichuan. The long historical and cultural connotation of Sichuan has given the gardens a profound cultural foundation, giving the classical gardens of Western Sichuan a strong cultural temperament. Several immigrants to Sichuan in the past have promoted the collision and exchange of cultures between Sichuan and other parts of the country, giving the gardens in western Sichuan an exotic flavor in some aspects.

3. Worship of the Sages

Ancestor worship is an ancient belief that first existed in the Chinese nation. With the development of the times, it evolved into worshiping heaven and earth, worshiping the country, worshiping famous mountains and rivers, and worshiping famous sages. People in the Sichuan area worshiped ghosts and gods during the Qin and Han Dynasties. "The ninth generation of Emperor Kaiming established ancestral temples." After the Shu Han Dynasty, the trend of building temples for famous people became popular, and temples for famous people spread all over Sichuan. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the people's respect for the sages continued to increase, and reached its climax in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. "For any sage who is guarded, the people of Shu will build a temple or paint their portrait. This is not the case in famous towns in the world." During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in most places in Sichuan, "the worship of people exceeded the worship of nature." The development of memorial gardens in Western Sichuan is closely related to the worship of sages. People generally worship sages, celebrities, and officials in Western Sichuan who are famous for their outstanding achievements, moral character, and literary talents, and build ancestral temples to show their respect and memory. Coupled with the respect for education in Western Sichuan mentioned above, people have a deep respect for the former residences of historical and cultural celebrities, and build temples to commemorate them, which eventually evolved into memorial gardens. The worship of the sages by officials, gentry, and the public allowed the memorial gardens to be rebuilt and preserved despite several declines and damages. At the same time, the long-term existence of Taoist thought and Taoist spirit has also had a certain impact on local architectural forms and colors, garden layout and garden art.