When you hear the name Du Fu, what comes to mind? Perhaps the image of a poet who worries about the country and the people, accompanied by his poems lamenting the current situation. However, the real image of Du Fu is far more colorful than we imagined.
The portrait of Du Fu is said to have been painted by the modern painter Mr. Jiang Zhaohe according to his own appearance, so the image of Du Fu we see may not be the original, but the product of artistic processing.
Regarding Du Fu's family history, it is even more eye-opening. He was born in 712 A.D., the era when Tang Xuanzong Li Longji ascended the throne, and his birthplace was Gong County, Henan, the child of an official family.
Judging from his family background, Du Fu is not from the grassroots, but a descendant of generations. His family history can be traced back to the Western Jin Dynasty, and his ancestors had rich experience, and even during the Tang Dynasty, the prestige of the Du family in the Jingzhao region was very high.
At that time, the matchmaking was a very important part of the blind date marriage. And Du Fu's family background is undoubtedly very superior. His mother was born in the Qinghe Cui clan and was one of the five surnames and seven wangs, and belonged to a member of the upper class. His wife is from Hongnong Yang's family, and his family background is also prominent, and his father is Si Nong Shaoqing, who is responsible for managing agriculture and finances, which shows that the family is strict.
Due to his superior family background, Du Fu was not as depressed as the legend says. On the contrary, he lived a free life of sightseeing. At the age of 19, he traveled to Shanxi, and after the age of 20, he went to Jiangnan and lived a leisurely life.
Even when he was 24 years old, he participated in the scientific examination for the first time, although he unfortunately failed to make the list, but for his superior family, it was not a big deal. He did not choose to be nostalgic for the imperial examination, but continued to enjoy his "happy ** year".
During this period of freedom, Du Fu traveled to Shandong and wrote the famous "Wangyue". From this poem, we can feel Du Fu in his youth, he is free, leisurely and comfortable, full of the passion and romance of young people.
It is precisely because of his heroism and passion that he has made friends with many celebrities of the same era, such as Li Bai, Gao Shi, Cen Shen, etc. However, his ambition did not last long.
In 741 AD, Du Fu's father died, and the pillar of the family fell, forcing Du Fu to become self-reliant. He tried hard to find an official position through the imperial examination, but unfortunately he encountered the obstruction of the traitor Li Linfu, resulting in his failure to make the list.
Four years later, Xuanzong held a grand sacrifice event, and Du Fu took the opportunity to present his works, and finally won Suzong's appreciation and became an alternate**. However, due to the influence of Li Linfu, he suffered another setback and was finally assigned to a small county lieutenant position.
Despite this, Du Fu is not satisfied with ordinary life. He tried to get a higher official position through his connections, but unfortunately, he was dissatisfied with Suzong, and he was demoted to Huazhou to join the army, and since then he has been living a wandering life.
In Huazhou, although Du Fu got an official position, he was never able to accept this life. Dissatisfaction with the current situation and awareness of the social class gap led him to begin to transform, from an idle young man to a poet concerned with society.
His poems began to be full of concern for society and sympathy for the people, and became classics that came to be known as the "History of Poetry".
During his wandering years, Du Fu formed deep friendships with many friends. Like Cui Mingfu, Gao Shi, Wang Jian, Wang Zhilian, etc., they supported and encouraged each other in the difficult years, and became a comfort to each other's souls.
However, the hardships of wandering life were unbearable after all, and Du Fu fell ill at the age of 45. In this year, he wrote the famous poem "Ascending", expressing his desire for the future and the pursuit of life.
Du Fu did not give up in his wanderings, he still insisted on writing, and recorded the gains and disgraces of this era with his own words, becoming a bright pearl in the history of ancient Chinese literature.
Du Fu's life, like his poems, carries countless stories and emotions. His poems contain a love for life and care for the people, and also reflect his own rough life. He is a true poet who writes the changes of the times in his own words, and has become a part of the history of Chinese literature that cannot be ignored.
Looking back on Du Fu's life, we can't help but ask: How many people in this world are like him, using their talents and perseverance to write touching stories?