For centuries, Chinese critics have acclaimed Du Fu (712–770) as “China’s greatest poet.” He has exerted tremendous influence both as a model poet and as a cultural icon. In The Reception of Du Fu (712-770) and His Poetry in Imperial China, Ji Hao provides modern readers with a general picture of the reception of Du Fu and his work from the Song to the Qing. He also explores major shifts in interpretive approaches to Du Fu’s poetry and their poetic and cultural implications. Through the case of reading Du Fu, the book also offers an in-depth examination of subtleties of the mode of life reading and the concept of transparency. This exploration seeks to provide a new orientation to the significance of the overarching principles of reading poetry in traditional China.