Tu Fu (Tu Tze-Mei) was the son of Tu Fan-yen, a high official in the
T'ang Dynasty. In the estimation of his countrymen he ranks next to Li
Peh among the great poets of the Tang Dynasty, and a few critics would
give him a still higher place.
When Tu Fu's literary ability and poetical genius were made known to the
Emperor, office and honours were bestowed on him.
In the poetical composition known as the Seven-character Pai-lueh, Tu Fu
is the most famous of all the poets of the T'ang Dynasty, if not of all
Chinese poets.