A literal legacy set in stone

A replica of Du's cottage was built in 1997 in line with the description in his poems. Famous local architect and painter Liu Weibing says the cottage resembles linpan, the traditional thatched-roofed houses of Sichuan farmers set amid bamboo forests and next to streams. Such dwellings have existed in the area for about 4,700 years.

Liu Weibing grew up among such dwellings and associates them with a slower pace of life.

The museum also houses a gigantic hall that displays Tang era relics discovered on the site in 2001, filling Chengdu's gap in the archaeology of large-scale Tang residential sites. They include bowls, chess pieces and metalware. Its eave tiles and bricks display patterns of flora and fauna.