Footprints of the immortal

By Zhou Liming (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-15 10:45

When John Woo scouted for a location for the premiere of Red Cliff, Asia's most expensive movie, he settled on the Temple of the Marquis of Wu in Chengdu.

It was a decision made partly to help boost the morale of the earthquake-hit city and also to highlight the connection between the temple, built in memory of Zhuge Liang, and his film in which Zhuge is a main character.

Zhuge Liang (AD 181-234) was prime minister of the Shu Kingdom, which incorporated what is now eastern Sichuan, northern Guizhou and some parts of Shaanxi. The name "Shu" is short for Sichuan.

The Chengdu temple was built in honor of King Liu Bei, who according to legend paid three personal visits to Zhuge to persuade to be his prime minister.

Construction of the 140,000-sq-m temple began in AD 223 as a mausoleum for Liu Bei. Cycles of destruction and rebuilding followed over the next thousand years. By 1672, the temple took its current form.

Zhuge Liang is considered the personification of wisdom and dedication. Often depicted as wearing a robe and holding a fan made of crane feathers, he exudes cool even in today's popular culture.

Legends about his military strategies and tactics - real, exaggerated or fictional - have seeped into public consciousness not only in China, but also in Japan and South Korea, through countless novels, operas, folk stories and, most recently, comics and video games.

In addition to his military genius, which had traces of Taoism, he was the Da Vinci of his time. He is believed to be the inventor of the mantou, a popular steamed bun, the landmine, an early hot air balloon used for military signaling and possibly a wheelbarrow.

There are various tributes at the temple, but a verse by poet Du Fu, who is himself renowned, stands out:

Where to seek the temple of the noble Premier?

In the deep pine forests outside the City of Silk

Where grass-covered steps mirror the colors of spring

And among the leaves, orioles empty songs sing

Three visits brought him the weight of the world

Two emperors he served with one heart

Passing ere his quest was complete

Tears damp the robes of heroes ever since

The Du Fu Thatched Cottage in western Chengdu is another must-see for any visitor. The 24-acre park and museum is now a national heritage site that was built around the humble residence where Du Fu (AD 712-770) spent four years in his wandering life.

Du, along with Li Bai, his contemporary, is considered one of the greatest poets in China. He harbored ambitions to help the country in ways similar to Zhuge Liang, by becoming a good civil servant, but war and rebellion devastated the country and frequently forced him to run for survival. The last 15 years of his life were a time of constant unrest.

Near Flower Rinsing Creek in Chengdu, Du wrote 240 poems, out of a total of 1,500 extant in his oeuvre. My Thatched Hut was Torn Apart by Autumn Wind is one every high school student can recite. Like many of his works, it is full of humanity and compassion for the underprivileged. Du's fame rose after his death. The key buildings in the park were constructed in the early 16th century and extensively renovated in 1811. The cottage itself is a recreation, but vivid details reflect Du's own descriptions.

There is a memorial hall, where Du's life and work is displayed, including some Song Dynasty wood carving editions of his poetry collections. Foreign language translations of his work are also available at the park's souvenir shop.

A new exhibition hall has a long mural where scenes from two of his best poems are portrayed. To put things into context, a dozen statues are on display, each for a great poet, carved in a style that mimics the poet's writing.

Outside the south gate there is a boulevard where the most immortal lines from Chinese poetry are inscribed on the road. Du Fu passed on long ago, but his lasting legacy and that of other historical figures continue to enrich the city.