The Late Wanderings of Du Fu

History remembers Du Fu (712–70) as the Confucian poet-sage, but why would he abandon his official post to wander the remote fringes of the Tang empire? This exploration of Du Fu’s late wanderings reveals the restless spiritual and intellectual journey that mirrored his seemingly directionless, perplexing physical travels. Moving beyond traditional portrayals, it uncovers a complex figure torn between north and south, service and retreat, and the truths of the Three Teachings.
A close reading of the poems from his last, prolific decade follows Du Fu as he confronts the brilliance and collapse of his dynasty, transforming all he experienced into poetry that became both his autobiography and his apology. Through his verse, a man who refused to settle for a single answer emerges, one whose constant wavering was a part of his greatness and ultimately redefined the possibilities of Chinese poetry.

Daniel Hsieh, Associate Professor of Chinese, Emeritus, at Purdue University, is a scholar specializing in early Chinese fiction, including zhiguai and chuanqi tales, as well as medieval poetry, with a particular focus on the Tang dynasty. A graduate of the University of Washington, where he studied with Professors Wang Ching-Hsien and David R. Knechtges, Hsieh has published several monographs in these areas, including The Evolution of Jueju Verse and Love and Women in Early Chinese Fiction, in addition to a variety of articles.

Focusing on Du Fu’s self-accounts, his religious interests, his understanding of history, and his thoughts about poetry, Hsieh outlines a profound meditation on the potentials of art and the intellectual resources of the Chinese tradition. A work to savor, to wander with, and to reread.

——Lucas Rambo Bender
Associate Professor on Term of East Asian Languages and Literatures,
Yale University

This book is very perceptive, with subtle insights gleaming forth again and again. Even readers who fancy themselves quite conversant with Du Fu frequently find themselves happily studying with Prof. Hsieh and taking copious notes.

——David McCraw
Professor of Chinese, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Chronology
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Chapter One
Introduction: Retreat, Going Forward
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Chapter Two
The Apologies of a Wanderer
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Chapter Three
Du Fu and Buddhism
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Chapter Four
The Cycles of History