During the Tang dynasty, in the fourth year of Dali (769) Du Fu (712-770) began the last long journey of his life. During his travels from Yue Jhou (岳州) to Tan Jhou (潭州), and on to Heng Jhou (衡州), he wrote a series of poetry, recording and reflecting on the experiences, sights and sounds he encountered along the way, which are generally known by the title "Hunan Travel Poetry." This article discusses how Du Fu' s Hunan Travel Poetry builds a sense of self and vividly recreates scenes through three aspects which are 'looking at self,' 'the moving scenery' and 'Du Fu, Hsieh Tiao and Yu Sin.' This article also compares discussions of Du Fu, Hsieh Tiao and Yu Sin's poems by referring to the criticism made by Wang Fu-Jhih (1619-1692) of Quing Dynasty. In the Hunan Travel Poetry, the building of an idea of the self is stronger than the descriptions of the landscape. This idea of the self is created by repeated self-examination and a close connection with both history and contemporary society. This search for the self is also intrinsically linked with the poet's search for the value and meaning of life.