On January 28, 2023, the annual memorial ceremonyin Du Fu ThatchedCottage was held in Chengdu. People from all walks of life gathered in front of the Hall of Great Poets to pay tribute tothe ancient sage.

At ten o’clock in the morning, accompanied by classical music, the solemn proceedingsmarchedto the Hall of Great Poets to complete various memorial rituals. Afterwards, people from all walks of life recited remembrance texts and bowed three times to the statue of the poet to express their deep respect.

Poetry Conferenceis an important part of the memorial ceremony. This year, stories behind the poetry were presented online; interesting poetry storieswere sharedin the formsof poetry recitation, explanation and interpretation. Finally, a meeting with thedirector of a documentary on Du Fu was held to sharethebehind-the-scene stories.

The memorial servicein the cottage can be traced back a long time. Since the Song Dynasty, Du Fu Thatched Cottage has welcomed a large number of literati and calligraphers every year to worship the great poet. It has become customary for Chengdu locals to gather at the cottage to recite Du Fu poems,appreciate plum blossoms and pray for good fortune. The ceremony serves as both a grand occasiontocelebratefriendship andexhibit cultureandan important platform to carry forwardthe finetraditional Chinese culture.