National Tide 1980.

Chapter 789
In the past, because people were free, the Lantern Festival was more lively than the Spring Festival. It was a big festival from the [-]th to the [-]th of the first lunar month.

Later, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was not enough to advocate changing customs.

There are no holidays on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and no one organizes public events. The Lantern Festival is gradually being ignored.

But in the minds of ordinary people, because the Lantern Festival is too close to the New Year, and the first month is not yet out, it must be regarded as the Chinese New Year.

According to everyone's tacit habit, it seems that only after the Lantern Festival is the end of the whole year.

Because of this, Ning Weimin decided to hold the New Year's Garden Party until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month even though the current Spring Festival holiday is only three days old.

What's more, this year is a bit special.

One is that many units have artificially combined the Spring Festival holiday and the two weekend holidays.

For the first time, most of the workers in the capital can rest for five consecutive days. This is the modern Golden Week.

It is entirely predictable how strong the common people's interest in visiting temple fairs and their desire to spend money will be.

Second, Ning Weimin has announced plans to hold the first Temple of Heaven Lantern Festival around the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day this year.

And imitating the form of the "Sculpture Art Exhibition", the United Artists Association collected lanterns from all over the country for competitions, set generous bonuses, and strived to hold another "public welfare" cultural activity with social influence.

So in order to accumulate some experience and be able to cope with large-scale lantern festivals more easily in autumn, of course it is necessary to preview in advance at this Spring Festival garden party.

You can adapt to the situation and practice your hands again. This is the best of both worlds.

So he chose the promenade connecting the Qigu Altar and Beishenchu ​​as the place to display the lanterns, and also held lantern riddles at the same time.

This makes the Northern Line and East Line of the New Year Garden Party in the Temple of Heaven add another unique scenery.

Needless to say, almost all the lanterns hanging here are produced by Jingcheng Art Red Lantern Factory.

Who made them the most senior lighting company in Beijing, and a long-term cooperative service provider with the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Heaven?

The technical background and tacit cooperation are all in time now.

Although Ning Weimin finally decided on the plan for the lantern event after New Year's Day, for the Palace Lantern Factory, they had to work overtime to make lanterns.

However, the whole factory still had no complaints, but responded with a particularly positive attitude.

Although the situation was in a hurry, it was too late to make a particularly large lantern.

But the Palace Lantern Factory still tried its best to produce all kinds of lanterns of different sizes, heights, squares, materials, shapes, and colors.

There are not only traditional gauze, glass, and horn lamps, but also western lamps, and there is absolutely nothing to be confused.

These lamps are painted with ancient legends and stories, such as the kingdoms, the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Fengshen, Red Mansions, Water Margin, Liaozhai, Jingzhong Zhuan, Three Heroes and Five Righteousness, etc., or flowers (orchids, chrysanthemums, plums, bamboos), or birds. Animals (luan, phoenix, dragon, tiger, insect, fish), etc., are all delicious in color and wonderful in appearance.

Even the Palace Lantern Factory gave Ning Weimin a big surprise and took the initiative to send a batch of ice lanterns to the Temple of Heaven.

To be honest, in Ning Weimin's perception, he always thought that the ice lanterns were carved with modern electric tools, otherwise it would be difficult to complete.

However, the wisdom of the ancients is beyond the imagination of today's people.

yes!In the past, it was difficult for the ancients to make large ice lanterns.

However, an ice lantern the size of one person can be completed, and it is even extremely convenient, saving worry and effort.

why?
Just because the ice lanterns in the past were made by sprinkling water on the mold.

There is a batch of ice lantern molds from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China in the warehouse of the Palace Lantern Factory. The factory director Xu Pingzhi ordered them all to be found.

Although a lot of them were broken, they should be repaired and used, and in the end, they managed to scrape together more than forty kinds of ice lanterns.

There are ships, palaces, flowers, animals and figures. In terms of styles, they are also rich and colorful.

The effect is even worse. For example, if Maitreya Buddha has a big belly, his belly is empty.

Put the candle from the back, once it is lit, it is like having a Buddha's heart, illuminating Maitreya Buddha as a whole, very crystal clear and beautiful.

And the grinning, navel-exposing appearance is exactly the same as in the painting.

Another example is a tortoise-shaped ice lantern, which imitates the appearance of a tortoise carrying a stele.

On the crystal clear tortoise, four candles can be lit to illuminate the tortoise everywhere.

But to say that the most beautiful is a row of ladies, all of them are life-sized, with different postures, and they are extremely beautiful.

And each of them held an ice lamp in their hands.

The red burning candles were placed in it, just enough to brighten their faces.

Imagine that these ice lanterns are gathered under the corridor, if they are lit together at night, what effect will it be?
Isn't it like a star in the blue sky!
Even in the daytime, when you catch up with snowy or cloudy days and light them up, they are still sparkling and colorful.

Although these ice lanterns lit by candles are incomparable in color and light with LED ice lanterns decades later, they are better than the word "Kit Kat".

First of all, the molds of these ice lamps are the product of experience.

Predecessors do not know how many years have passed down the improved classic shape, and the lighting setting of the light source is particularly scientific.

Secondly, the quality of the inverted ice lamps is constant, convenient and quick.

As long as the molds are not broken and the weather is cold enough, one can be frozen overnight, and the ones made every time are generally the same.

Coupled with the saying "water and fire are incompatible", it seems that such traditional ice lanterns are delicious enough.

Not to mention that tourists who come to the promenade will have great interest in such ice lanterns. Everyone wants to see the rare thing of lighting lights in the ice when the sky gets dark in the evening.

Even Ning Weimin was extremely excited when he saw these ice lanterns for the first time.

At that time, I couldn't help but blame Xu Pingzhi for hiding things.

Not for anything else, because in Ning Weimin's heart, such ice lanterns seem to be a perfect complement to the artistic ice sculptures of Tangong Restaurant.

You know, the ice sculptures required for a large banquet often require two skilled chefs to work together for half a day.

What's more, no matter how big the size is, there is no ice sculpture as tall as a person.

But if there is such an ice lantern model, ordinary people can operate it, wouldn't it save a lot of trouble?

Even in this winter night, you can place such ice lanterns in the yard of Beishenchu ​​as an outdoor lighting for the occasion.

In terms of the work efficiency of simplifying complexity, this is the difference between bows and arrows and muskets.

So Ning Weimin then opened his mouth to the Palace Lantern Factory, and asked to use the models of four ladies to envoy him.

I'll return it when the weather gets warmer.

The palace lantern factory naturally agreed 100%, and even offered to send workers to instruct the ice lanterns to be molded.

As for the factory director, Xu Pingzhi, he was quite clear about it.

He knew that it was all luck, that he could have a good life in his factory if he could meet such a big client as Ning Weimin.

What's more, at the Temple of Heaven Lantern Festival during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he was still thinking about making a name for himself.

What's the point of borrowing a few ice lantern molds?

It was Ning Weimin who gave him face by borrowing money.

It stands to reason that if people open their mouths, they should be given away for nothing.

In short, the promenade of the Temple of Heaven, because of the lanterns hanging on these corridors and the ice lamps displayed under the corridors, has successfully attracted tourists from all over the world.

In addition, the corridor is also a fork in the road, and a colorful kiosk is arranged to provide free tea.

There are also several warm sheds selling festive food "Jinfang Lantern Festival", and "revolving horse lanterns", "auspicious lanterns", "qi dead wind lanterns" and paper lanterns with lions, dogs, sheep, rabbits and other animal images made by the Palace Lantern Factory.

This makes this area even more crowded, and there is an endless stream of tourists.

While buying Lantern Festival, many adults bought paper lanterns for their children to carry, or rabbit lanterns to play with, and then dragged their families around to play, forming a scene of lanterns and lanterns.

Of course, the most attractive thing is the activity of guessing lantern riddles.

Lantern riddles are called "guessing boring children" among the people in Beijing.

In the past, it was called "Denghu", which means that it is hard to guess, just like a hunter shooting a tiger,
Originally, it was an interactive activity aimed at increasing knowledge, exercising intelligence, sharpening people's thinking, and enlivening the festive atmosphere.

All dynasties, from ancient times to the present, have always had the most mass foundation.

Not to mention that there are prizes for playing lantern riddles in the Temple of Heaven, and it is not for nothing, it is a great fun worth participating in.

In particular, it is extremely convenient to redeem prizes, and security measures are also in place.

In order to prevent tourists from blocking the road and prevent people from being squeezed down the high steps of the promenade under crowded conditions.

A total of four prize redemption service desks have been set up in the promenade of the Temple of Heaven, all of which are staffed by staff.

Moreover, there are also police and park security officers who are patrolling together to guide the flow of people.

When the three people from the Earth Altar arrived here for the first time, they were dazzled by the colorful lanterns hanging all over the promenade at a glance.

I also felt that those people looking at the lights with their necks up looked very strange.

Because there are many people, holding notes and pencils in their hands, focusing on memorizing something, or pointing at the lamp to discuss something.

They were full of surprises, and they didn't really understand what was going on here until they came to a prize redemption office and saw the rules of the "lantern riddles" activity on the sign there.

While displaying the lanterns, the Ganqing organizers also posted various riddles on various lanterns for people to guess.

When tourists feel that they have guessed correctly, they have to write down both the riddle and the answer, and go to the staff to check it face to face.

Only if it is correct can the coupons be redeemed.

As we all know, folk riddle guessing is based on the intelligence of the guesser.

From simple to complex, from easy to difficult, vulgar and elegant.

Therefore, the lottery tickets and riddles for the "Lantern Riddles" activity in Temple of Heaven Park are also divided into three categories according to conventions.

The first is the simplest, the riddles are yellow, and only children can guess and redeem.

What does it look like? A pair of sisters, wearing red jackets, each guarding the door at one end, talking auspicious words.

Play a festive item, the answer is Spring Festival couplets
What else, seven or eight brothers, sitting around the pillars, once they want to separate, the clothes are all torn.

Hit a crop, the answer is garlic.

This kind of lottery ticket is yellow when it is redeemed, and there is no grand prize for the prizes that can be exchanged, and they are all stationery for a few cents.

Depending on the final number of coupons, they can be exchanged for exercise books, arithmetic books, colored pencils of various colors, erasers, carving knives, plastic rulers, triangular boards and so on.

The biggest prize is nothing more than the child's collection of twelve colored leads.

So I am not afraid of individual children being greedy and claiming prizes repeatedly.

Or play tricks and string up answers with each other.

After all, there is not much money, and the original intention of Tiantan Garden is just like distributing free tea, hoping that children can get some stationery to study hard, and earn a good reputation by the way.

If it really counts as gains and losses, I am afraid that after a fifteen-day garden tour, the prizes that are cheated are not as good as a day's tea consumption at a free tea stall.

What's more, the children who didn't take advantage of it enough would definitely be ruined, and after a few words of education, they would leave in despair.

They are all teenagers wearing red scarves, how could they have no sense of shame?
The second kind of puzzle strips and tickets are all red, which is for adults.

But from a functional point of view, it's actually just to attract people, to win a good fortune and make everyone laugh.

For the convenience of Tiantan Garden, some popular lantern riddles are deliberately adopted.

Generally, they are more humorous, more interesting, and easier to guess.

For example, when Bajie took a bath, he named a meat dish, and the answer was "pigs go into the water".

For another example, the farmer's heart is like soup, and when he typed a three-character proverb, the answer to the riddle is "do it in a hurry".

For another example, if a bank cashier hits an animal, the answer is "mouse".

But the quality of the prizes is not very high. A red prize ticket can be used for ten cents, and can be spent at will in the Spring Festival Garden Party of the Temple of Heaven.

Most people guess for a long time, and they only get one or two cents.

Some people just love this item, and spend an hour or so in the promenade with their necks up, and walk away with a handful of red coupons in high spirits.

It's almost as easy as changing a paper lantern and buying a candied haws or something.

If I want to buy Yuanxiao, I'm afraid it won't be enough, and I'm afraid I'll have to add some more soon.

The ones that are really difficult and can win big prizes are the third type, the ones with green fans and green lottery tickets.

This kind of lantern riddle is very elegant, and to put it bluntly, it is specially designed for those who are erudite and knowledgeable.

For example, "Three autumn leaves fall off, and February flowers can bloom. A thousand feet of waves cross the river, and ten thousand poles lean into the bamboo." Type one word, and the answer to the riddle is "wind".

There is also "Wearing a white coat inside and a red dress on the outside, full of articles and honesty. Just because I got a heart attack, I shed a few lines of tears of lovesickness", playing a daily necessities, the answer is red candles.

Or, "Zong Er", to type an idiom, the answer is that the wind and the moon are boundless.

"Baoyu lowered his eyebrows and obeyed his father's instructions", based on historical allusions, the answer is to listen to politics behind the curtain.

It's even more difficult than these, "It's not Guan Yunchang, it's not the overlord of Chu. I also lost to Maicheng, and I also killed myself in Wujiang", type two words, and they become one thing together. The answer is emerald.

Guess the answer to this kind of riddle, one lottery ticket can be worth two yuan, that is twenty red tickets.

The Temple of Heaven is designed to reward those who are quick-witted and knowledgeable.

Of course, there must be a brave man under the big prize, and the most people challenge the green riddle, so the prize distribution is relatively strict.

Once someone wins the prize, the riddle strips on the lamp have to be torn off and replaced, and the number of green riddle strips is limited.

It's been a day, and at most two hundred posts will be posted, with a limit of four hundred yuan as a bonus.

That is to say, this kind of real lantern riddle can only be guessed once.

If you come late and catch up and be guessed by others, it will be gone.

Now that the three of Ditan have come here and understand the rules, they are naturally eager to try like everyone else.

What's interesting is that these three levels are also very different, and they are completely divided into three levels just like the riddle.

That driver is a master with a hollow belly.

Rao was dizzy watching it, and it seemed that he could only guess the answers to a few children's riddles, so he had no chance of claiming the prize at all.

It didn't take long for him to get bored, and he honestly held up his camera to take pictures of lanterns and ice lanterns.

The deputy director's level is average, but he guessed seven or eight red riddles correctly.

He took out a portable work notebook and wrote it down like others.

In addition, his ears are very sharp, and he also pays attention to listening to other people's chats, and finds a few more answers to the riddles that he did not guess.

In the end, I actually exchanged a lot of red coupons, a total of ten coupons, which is one yuan.

It's a pity that we can't do anything about green.

Those can't be dealt with simply by having a quick mind and a lot of common sense, and require a considerable cultural foundation.

As a result, the secretary was displayed at once.

The secretary is the oldest, not only proficient in literary and ink, familiar with historical allusions, but also loves to listen to Peking Opera.

Now that the burden of practical work is handed over to the principal, he basically only focuses on government affairs, so he has more time to focus on his hobbies.

After walking around for a while, I actually won three yuan in a row, and all the guesses were riddles of Peking Opera plays.

"Repay kindness with revenge", the answer to the riddle "Fishing and killing families").

"Dereliction of duty should be dismissed", the answer to the riddle "Selling Water".

"I don't know where the human face is going", the answer to the mystery "The Headless Case".

Although there were still two secretaries who thought they were sure of the riddles and missed the answers, but it didn't hurt too much.

How to put it, among the people who redeemed the prize, the secretary was one of the most outstanding and unique ones.

The deputy principal was sincerely convinced and complimented him greatly.

"Secretary, your research on Peking Opera is really deep. It seems that the quintessence of Chinese culture is the quintessence of Chinese culture. It is worthy of an elegant hobby and has a high gold content. If I had known, I would have listened less to review books, learned from you, and listened to more Peking Opera. You see, My lottery tickets are not as good as yours."

The driver was surprised, but also flattered him.

"Hey, boss! Your level of education is too good! My good guy, you only pay six yuan for such a casual stroll. This is more than my daily wages. I have already earned back the money for today's tickets. A lot of money was lost. Now you will make the Temple of Heaven lose a lot."

Needless to say, the secretary naturally burst out laughing complacently as if he had been touched by a tickle.

To be honest, if the driver hadn't reminded the secretary with the last sentence, the most stable leader among the three would have completely forgotten the purpose of his group's visit today.

Of course, it was also because of this sentence that the secretary's comfort was mixed with a bit of vengeful pleasure.

(End of this chapter)