In the western suburbs of Chengdu, if you follow the stream upstream from Baihuatan to the Du Fu Thatched Cottage, the scenery along the way is lush and winding. This stretch of the Jin River that encircles Chengdu is called Huanhua Creek. Du Fu Thatched Cottage is situated west of the Jin River, about 6-8 km (around 20 minutes by car) from Wangjiang Tower and about 10-12 km (around 30 minutes by car) from Wuhou Shrine.
Du Fu (杜甫), courtesy name: Zimei (子美); 712–770 AD (Tang Dynasty)—one of the greatest poets in Chinese history, often called the "Poet Sage" (诗圣) and likened to Homer or Shakespeare in Chinese literary tradition. During times of turmoil (the An Lushan Rebellion), Du Fu fled to Sichuan and lived in Chengdu, where he built a small thatched cottage and lived here for nearly four years and composed over 240 poems during his stay. Today, the Du Fu Thatched Cottage spans approximately 24 acres (97,000 square meters), and recognized as a National Heritage site in 1961, the Du Fu Thatched Cottage remains a significant cultural and historical ndmark in Chengdu, attracting visitors interested in Chinese literature and history
(T/N: 锦江; jǐnjiāng, or Jin River, lit. means brocade river. Jinjiang is an actual city/area in China, also a river name in Sichuan Province, flowing through Chengdu.)
For centuries, the picturesque beauty of Jinjiang and Huanhua Creek has drawn countless poets to rest and compose verses.
The renowned talented Tang Dynasty poetess Xue Tao once lived by Baihuatan and used the crystal-clear waters of Huanhua Creek to craft exquisite, multicolored poetry paper, ter known as "Xue Tao Paper."
To this day, her former mansion, Chongli Pavilion, also known as the Wangjiang Tower, remains on the right bank of the Jin River. It stands as the central structure within Wangjiang Tower Park, now famous ndmarks in Chengdu, Sichuan. Constructed in 1889 during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the pavilion is a four-story edifice rising approximately 30 meters. Its architectural features include upturned eaves, vermilion columns, and a gilded rooftop, exemplifying cssic Chinese design.
Situated on the southern bank of the Jinjiang River, near Jiuyan Bridge and adjacent to Sichuan University, the tower offers panoramic views of the river and the surrounding cityscape. The park also encompasses the Xue Tao Memorial Hall, the historic Xue Tao Well, and an extensive bamboo grove, reflecting Xue Tao's fondness for bamboo. With over 400 varieties of bamboo, the park is often referred to as a "bamboo gene pool."
Additionally, to the south of the Wuhou District, the city center of Chengdu, in the southwest of the Jin River, which is approximately 4.5 kilometers from Wangjiang Tower Park (around 15 to 20 minutes by car) and about 10-12 km (around 30 minutes by car) from Du Fu Tached Cottage, lies the Wuhou Shrine (武侯祠), dedicated to Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮) or Marquis of Wu, the legendary chancellor and strategist of the Shu Han kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. And the tomb of Liu Bei (刘备), the founder of the Shu Han Kingdom, is both a revered site that attracts visitors and admirers.
Du Fu once wrote in tribute to the Wuhou Shrine:
"Where can one find the shrine of the prime minister?Outside Jin City, amidst a dense grove of cypresses.Green grass glows along the steps in spring’s own hue,And orioles call sweetly beyond the leaves—yet it feels hollow.
Thrice the lord sought him, pcing the fate of the realm in his hands.Through two dynasties, he served with all a loyal old minister could give.But he died before the final battle could be won—And ever since, heroes have shed tears upon their sleeves."
This poem, “蜀相; Shǔ Xiàng,” often transted as "The Prime Minister of Shu" or "The Temple of Zhuge Liang," was composed by Du Fu (杜甫) while drifting along Huanhua Creek. Before Zhuge Liang left Longzhong, he lived in seclusion at Wolong Gang, twenty miles west of Xiangyang. In ter generations, people honored him by inscribing two lines on a pque in Longzhong from Du Fu's poem—
"Thrice the lord sought him, pcing the fate of the realm in his hands.Through two dynasties, he served with all a loyal old minister could give."
Others might not think much of it, but for Xiao Qiushui, the third son of Xiao Xilou—the leader of the Huanhua Sword Sect in Chengdu, Sichuan—those two lines of poetry held special meaning. Written by the Jinjiang and inscribed in Longzhong, they resonated deeply with him. That was why he, along with three close friends, traveled all the way from Sichuan to Hubei, just to catch a glimpse of the poem by the brilliant and remarkably admired poet, as well as the famed former mansion of the legendary Zhuge Wuhou.
Xiao Xilou had three sons and one daughter. His eldest, Xiao Yiren, was renowned throughout the jianghu—among the younger generation, none could match his intelligence and strategic prowess. His second son, Xiao Kaiyan, was steady and insightful, hailed as the guardian deity of the Huanhua Sword Sect. As for his third son, Xiao Qiushui, he had yet to make a name for himself in the jianghu and held no power or influence. Yet, among the Xiao family, he was the only one willing to travel hundreds of miles just to see two lines of poetry.
Little did he know that this seemingly simple visit would lead him into a storm of upheaval—an epic tale of passion, heroism, and sorrow that would shake the jianghu to its core.
