Li Bai and Du Fu Meet in Tang China

In the autumn of 744, during the flourishing cultural era of the Tang dynasty, two men who would become central figures of Chinese literature crossed paths in person. Li Bai, an established writer already renowned across the empire, met the younger poet Du Fu. The encounter took place shortly after Li Bai had departed from the imperial capital of Chang'an, where he had served in the Hanlin Academy under Emperor Xuanzong before falling out of royal favour. The two poets spent time traveling, hunting, and drinking together, and they met once more the following year in 745.

Although their time together was brief, the association left a lasting impression on both. It gave rise to a poetic dialogue that survived long after their parting. Du Fu wrote a number of surviving poems addressed to or reflecting upon his elder contemporary, and Li Bai also addressed verse to Du Fu. Their brief shared travels took place against the backdrop of a prolonged era of internal peace and prosperity, when the Tang court actively patronized the literary arts.