Visiting the Shrine of the Former Lord

Du FuJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

4.3

Word count: 4.2K words
Chapters: 49

Summary

Traditional Chinese culture has a long and profound intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and gazetteers are all vast and profound in content. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book contains Du Fu's poem "Visiting the Temple of the Former Lord," printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company and belonging to the "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" series, preserving the appearance of the original book. In this poem Du Fu pays homage to the temple of Liu Bei, interweaving historical recollection with a sense of his own life circumstances; it is a concrete sample for understanding Du Fu's grave and brooding style and his approach to historical poetry. The value of this collated edition lies in providing an accessible primary text suitable for close reading of a single piece rather than a comprehensive anthology. Readers can begin with this poem to appreciate how Du Fu uses ancient sites to express reflections on rise and fall, and then extend their reading to his other historical and nostalgic works. Because it is a single poem, the threshold for reading is not high, but without knowledge of Three Kingdoms history and Du Fu's life, the depth of understanding will be limited. Reading alongside annotated editions and related histories is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of classical literature who love Du Fu's poetry and wish to read a single poem closely
Students and language teachers studying historical and nostalgic themes
General readers interested in Three Kingdoms history and its literary reception

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking an anthology of many of Du Fu's representative works at once
Readers with no interest at all in annotations and background knowledge for classical poetry

Reading tips

First learn the historical events concerning Liu Bei and the Three Kingdoms, then read the title and text.
Copy and read the poem couplet by couplet, marking allusions, to appreciate Du Fu's structure in historical poetry.
Combine with materials on Du Fu's life to understand where the sense of personal circumstance in the poem comes from.
After finishing, extend the reading to Du Fu's other historical and nostalgic poems for comparison.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
谒先主庙
【怀锦水居止二首】杜甫
【子规】杜甫
【立春】杜甫
【漫成一绝】杜甫
【老病】杜甫
【南楚】杜甫
【寄常征君】杜甫
【寄岑嘉州（州据蜀江外）】杜甫
【移居夔州郭】杜甫
【船下夔州郭宿，雨湿不得上岸，别王十二判官】杜甫
【雨不绝】杜甫
【崔评事弟许相迎不到应虑老夫见泥雨…必愆佳期走笔戏简】杜甫
【宿江边阁（即后西阁）】杜甫
【夜宿西阁，晓呈元二十一曹长】杜甫
【西阁口号（呈元二十一）】杜甫
【西阁雨望】杜甫
【不离西阁二首】杜甫
【西阁三度期大昌严明府同宿不到】杜甫
【西阁二首】杜甫
【阁夜】杜甫
【西阁夜】杜甫
【瀼西寒望】杜甫
【入宅三首（大历二年春，甫自西阁迁赤甲）】杜甫
【赤甲】杜甫
【卜居】杜甫
【暮春题瀼西新赁草屋五首】杜甫
【园】杜甫
【竖子至】杜甫
【示獠奴阿段】杜甫
【秋野五首】杜甫
【溪上】杜甫
【树间】杜甫
【课小竖鉏斫舍北果林，枝蔓荒秽，净讫移床三首】杜甫
【寒雨朝行视园树】杜甫
【季秋江村】杜甫
【小园】杜甫
【自瀼西荆扉且移居东屯茅屋四首】杜甫
【茅堂检校收稻二首】杜甫
【东屯月夜】杜甫
【东屯北崦】杜甫
【从驿次草堂复至东屯二首】杜甫
【暂往白帝复还东屯】杜甫
【刈稻了咏怀】杜甫
【上白帝城（公孙述僭位于此，自称白帝）】杜甫
【上白帝城二首】杜甫
【武侯庙（庙在白帝西郊）】杜甫
【八阵图】杜甫

FAQ

Does this book contain only one poem?

According to the materials, this book is a collated printing centered on Du Fu's poem "Visiting the Temple of the Former Lord"; it is a single primary text rather than a complete collection or large anthology of Du Fu's poetry. Before purchasing, it is advisable to confirm the actual page count and scope of inclusion to avoid a mismatch with expectations.

What background should readers know before reading this poem?

It is advisable to first grasp the basic history of Liu Bei and the Three Kingdoms and to understand the background of Du Fu's wandering in the southwest and his visits to ancient sites. With this groundwork, the lament for rise and fall and the sense of personal circumstance in the poem are easier to perceive.

Is it suitable for middle school students?

It can be used as supplementary reading of classical poetry, but requires the aid of a teacher or an annotated edition. The poem involves allusions and historical judgments, and middle school students reading alone may remain at the literal level; it is best used with explanation and discussion.

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About the author

Du Fu Author · Chinese

Du Fu was a realist poet of the Tang dynasty, styled Zimei and self-named Shaoling Yelao. His ancestral home was Xiangyang, and he was born in Gongxian, Henan. He served as Left Remonstrator and as an adjunct员外郎 of the Ministry of Works, and is known to later generations as Du Shiyi and Du Gongbu. During the An Lushan Rebellion he was displaced and wandered from place to place, later settling in the Thatched Cottage in Chengdu. About 1,500 of his poems survive, most collected in The Complete Works of Du Gongbu. He is revered as the "Sage of Poetry," his verse is called "poetry as history," and he is ranked alongside Li Bai as "Li and Du." His writing confronts social reality and personal hardship, covering war and displacement, the sufferings of the people, landscapes, and everyday reflections; his style is deep and forceful, his language precise and varied, and his influence on later poetry is profound. This site holds 31 of his works, including complete collections such as The Complete Works of Du Fu and The Collected Poems of Du Fu, as well as individual pieces such as "Again Showing Zongwu," "Visiting the Temple of the First Lord," "Song of the Year's End," and "The Ninth Day." His works are commonly classified under ancient poetry, Eastern philosophy, and culture.