As William Shakespeare is to literature in English, so is poet Du Fu to the Chinese literary tradition. Aimed at introducing the charm and bof tradition Chinese literature to viewers around the world, a new BBC documentary invited famous British actor Ian McKellen to read 15 of Du's poems that have been translated into English.

    The one-hour film describes the p  life experiences in detail. Born in 712, Du lived under the reign of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong (713-756), a time m  by extraordinary prosperity (繁荣) and cultural achievement.

    However, as the An Lushan Rebellion of 755 floored the empire, Du had to take his family on the road as refugees ( 难民), and endured starvation ( 忍饥挨饿) and suffering. T  ups and downs, the poet never stopped writing and about 1,500 poems have been kept over the ages. In these poems, he poured out his worry about his country and people as well as the i of celebrating the simple joys of life.  

    Chinese people really value the recording of history and Du is better than anyone at reflecting history in his poetry. That's b  historical events are mirrored(反 映) in his own life and spiritual journey. Even though he never held a high position in the government, Du still cared about about c people. For example, in the poem My Cottage Unroofed By Autumn Gale (茅屋为秋风所破歌), he wrote that "Could I get mansions covering ten thousand miles, I'd house all scholars poor and make t beam (喜笑颜开) with smiles" That's why he was praised as a Poet Sage by later generations. A difficult life and his spirit of care about the world helped him c so many masterpieces (杰作).

    Without doubt, Du is a cultural symbol of ancient China, but his brilliant works and spirits have aencouraged people outside of China. As the documentary noted, his work represents a valuable cultural heritage (遗产) for the whole world, not just China.