Tang Dynasty Crossing Guide: Chang'an and People's Life Manual

Chapter 36 We celebrated festivals like this more than 1000 years ago (3)
Mei Dai seizes the color of daylilies, and the red dress is jealous of pomegranate flowers.

The new song is fascinating, and the eyes of the drunk dance are slanted.

Who knows that Wusi can continue her life, but she knows that the Jun family will die today! ①

①From Wan Chu's "Watching Prostitutes in Five Days".

References & in-depth understanding recommendations for this article:

Zhang Hongmei. Festivals and Customs of the Tang Dynasty. Taiyuan: Shanxi People's Publishing House, 2010
Hall of Eternal Life on July [-]th, the house is full of beauties catching spiders

Tanabata
"Festival special wear" Chinese Valentine's Day tour full group departure!After these days of tossing, the company decided to give the members of this group wearing a relaxing, luxurious and luxurious high-end experience - we directly traveled to the imperial palace during the Kaiyuan Tianbao period at the peak of the Tang Dynasty, and witnessed Tang Minghuang and Yang Guifei’s private Tanabata Festival mood.

Please sit down, we are about to land... um... well, you can open your eyes now, but... guests, don't be impatient, I will ask the driver master what kind of place this is, why the house is so dilapidated and desolate...

Well, sorry, our driver is quite straight-minded. When he heard that he was going to the imperial palace, he landed directly at the oldest and largest imperial palace in Chang'an City - "Xi Nei" Tai Chi Palace.Of course, you may know that from the time of Tang Gaozong, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty did not work and live here. They were all in the "Dongnei" Daming Palace. No wonder there is no popularity here.

Ouch!Master, please slow down!Hold on tight, everyone... No, no, no, no, we're not going to Daming Palace!I didn’t finish what I just said. Although the Daming Palace was the main residence of most emperors in the Tang Dynasty, in the Xuanzong era where we are now, the emperor Li Longji lived in his own villa in the city, which is closer to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. That "Southern Inner" Xingqing Palace...

I said, master, you are too impatient, right?Can you wait until I finish speaking before landing?Look, this is Xingqing Palace. Although the trees and grass in the house are obviously brighter than Taiji Palace, and there are more people, but it is summer now!Chang'an City is very hot and stuffy in summer!Qualified high-end people, such as the emperor, have to go out of the city to escape the heat in summer!
Do you still have the nerve to scold me?In front of so many guests, forget it, I will complain to your department head when I get back.You ask where is the summer office of the imperial court?In Beidaihe, Qinhuangdao...cough, I also fainted.

The emperors of all dynasties each had their own favorite summer palaces. As for Li Longji's generation, after Yang Meimei, he prefers to go to Huaqing Palace, which is in the east of Chang'an, at the foot of Lishan Mountain, where he can soak in hot springs.

OK, it's settled, let's go.Yes, Lishan, Huaqing Palace, the place near the emperor's bedroom, this time it's right.

I said, master, you don’t have to throw the whole car into the hot spring pool... I’m sorry, I’m sorry, we will distribute free towels to the guests right away, please take pity on me who have to work overtime on the night of Qixi Festival and encounter such a thing Deer guide deer.

It's okay, it's noon, and the sun is shining.As for us, we climbed out of the hot spring, first slipped quietly outside the palace courtyard wall, found a wide and flat place, lay down to dry our clothes, waited until we were almost done, and it would not be too late to watch Li Yang's little mood at night.

What did the guest say?At noon in the summer, how about a bunch of people laying flat and basking in the sun, making mummies?It's all right, let me tell you a word, if someone else comes over and asks you, what are you doing lying down, you can answer him in a humble way: "I'm drying my stomach with thousands of volumes of poems and books!"

Since the Han and Wei Dynasties, folks have had the custom of drying books and clothes at noon on July [-]th.Some people suffered setbacks in the workplace because they respected this custom. For example, Comrade Sima Yi, who was avoiding misfortune at home, published a book at home on July [-]th, and was inquired by Cao Aman. Ruan Xian from the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" played performance art with the help of custom costumes. At noon on July [-]th, someone else's house was drying clothes, and a lot of silk and satin were hanging. Ruan also went to join in the fun, holding a bamboo pole with a broken hanging The trousers are dangling everywhere; as for lying flat in the sun and claiming to be "posting books", the original copyright belongs to a guy named Hao Long.

Sleep until dark, get up after patting clothes, and sneak into Huaqing Palace again, let's walk all the way to watch the excitement.

On the night of Qixi Festival, the palace is much more lively than normal nights, and you can see groups of beautiful girls everywhere, all dressed up in fancy dresses, chatting and laughing together, not knowing what they are doing.Take a closer look, there are five or six maids here, surrounded by a basin of water, as if they want to put something in it, but they can't see what they are holding in their hands.

Get closer, um, you can see it this time, the thin and long silver thing is a needle.

You ask, why put a needle in the water?Is Tangmen's poisonous needle ready to make poison?The imagination is really rich.This is where the court ladies are "begging for cleverness" to apply for the qualification to teach skills to Comrade Weaver Girl in the sky, and the procedures are quite troublesome.

From noon on the day of Qixi Festival, the maids will put this basin of water in the yard to expose it to the sun. After a long time in the sun, a layer of dust will float on the surface of the water, and the tension will be stronger. Then the girls can put needles on the water surface.

There are two levels of test methods for needle placement. The first level is to test the softness and delicacy of the technique. A girl with ingenuity twists it lightly, and the silver needle can float on the water; Throw it, just blow it out of the field and get a lunch box.

The second level of competition is to see what shape the needle is reflected on the bottom of the basin after it floats on the water. If it looks a bit like the shadow of clouds, flowers, birds, or animals, then this girl is a coincidence, like shoes, scissors , The shadow of the water bottle is also not bad, if the shadow is as thick as a hammer when viewed horizontally, and as thin as silk when viewed vertically, it looks like shaft wax ① no matter how you look at it, just like this one you put...forget it stupid, let's go.

Look, there are still a group of people over there holding needles and threads to gesticulate. They are also begging for cleverness. The method is to pass the multicolored silk threads through the needle holes at the fastest speed under the moonlight.You say it's easy?Can you come too?OK, let's try.Hey, you should count first, how many needle holes are there in this needle?
That's right, nine!This is Qixi Qiqiao's custom-made special needle, not an ordinary sewing needle!Under the hazy moonlight, it would be nice to be able to thread the end of a thread through the eye of a needle, but you have to go through nine small eyes in one go. Do you still want to compete in painting?May I ask how many degrees are your glasses?a thousand degrees?I solemnly advise you to give up, let's go elsewhere.

There is another group of girls with pots in the flowers over there, chatting and laughing while picking flowers.It is said that on the evening of Qixi Festival, pick flowers of various colors and soak them in water, soak them overnight under the starry sky, and use the flower water to pat your face and cleanse the next day, which can make the skin tender and fair.Anyway, it is a pure natural thing with no chemical pollution, no harm in how to use it, right?

There is also a special kind of flower, that kind of red impatiens, which is crushed and juiced, and the nails are dyed red as one of the decorations of the Qixi Festival.What's more, it is not soaked in water or crushed. The flowers are picked for offering, and the god of offering is of course the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.

We followed the two girls holding flowers and watched them walk towards a three-story building in the winding palace courtyard.It was the Qiqiao building specially built by Emperor Li Longji for the Qixi Festival. He and Yang Meimei were staying upstairs to cool off.

When you get closer, you can hear the sound of silk and bamboo music from upstairs and downstairs, and you can also see the shadows of maiko dancers waving their sleeves. These two people really enjoy it.

In the courtyard downstairs, an incense table has been set up, with some seasonal fruits, flowers, wine, food, and of course an incense burner—it’s not the kind of incense burner with incense sticks. There were no incense sticks in the Tang Dynasty. It's Xiaoxiang pancakes and Xiaoxiang cubes.

A group of concubines with heavy make-up took turns offering sacrifices to the stars, and there were crowds of people threading needles and having fun everywhere in Qiqiao Building, let alone singing and dancing.More individual, everyone look this way, these girls are climbing walls, jumping up and down, guess what they are doing?

Um, yes, the guest came close, like grabbing something?What are you catching?Let's take a closer look.Hey, guest, you stand still!As for it, it's just a few little spiders, as for being so scared?Are you Ron Weasley?
You ask them why they catch spiders?Well, this is a long story.

① Axle wax, axles and candles.

In the past... In fact, it was the time of the Han Dynasty. People worshiped the stars and begged for cleverness on the Qixi Festival, and put melons and fruits in the yard. In summer, it was inevitable to attract some mosquitoes.After late at night, these mosquitoes often attract spiders.Spiders build webs on melons and fruits. The next day, people get up to check the spider webs. If there are no or very sparse spider webs, then the person who placed the melons and fruits is a stupid girl. If the spider webs are complicated and dense, congratulations, you are lucky!
In the Tang Dynasty, wasn't it afraid that the spiders would not be attracted, or that the spider master would not work hard when he came?The girls simply rolled up their sleeves and caught one or two by themselves.Afraid that they will run away when you put melons and fruits on it?OK, get a box, shut the spider in, and see where you go!Tonight, you can just spin your silk and make a net for me honestly!

If the next morning, the spider captives did a good job and the spider webs are dense, everyone agrees that the girl is a coincidence. The fierce Tang Dynasty beauty may release the spiders when she is happy. .

After tossing and tossing for a long time, Xing also offered sacrifices, Qiao also begged, I was full, and I got tired of watching songs and dances, so let's go to sleep!The two of them, Li Yang, also went back to their bedroom, the Hall of Eternal Life.Guest, do you really want to insist on sneaking into the Palace of Eternal Life to watch love action movies about emperors and concubines?Well, it’s all said to be rich and gorgeous high-end intimate special wear.

Move lightly, follow me, this way... This is the door of the Hall of Eternal Life, turn around this screen, and then enter this curtain... Look at those two, yes, they are the ones standing by the window and whispering It's two people, looking at the big arms and round waist, it's unmistakable.

Yang Meimei is crying.What did you ask her to say?Alas, she was saying that she was envious of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. Although they could only see each other once a year, they would last forever, unlike the women in the palace. Once their beauty faded, they would be abandoned by the scumbag emperor.Well, then Comrade Li Longji made an oath: "I and Qing will be husband and wife for the rest of the world, I wish to be lovebirds in the sky, and Lian Lizhi in the ground..."

Haha, man's oath.Everyone knows what happened to the pair.

Hey, I said that guest, can you stop posting and live broadcast? "The Night of Li Yang's Qixi Festival I've Seen with My Own", this title... and this one!You brush Weibo really fast!Even the pornographic photos were broadcast live together!It's outrageous!Don't you know that the private life of the leader is a state secret?
In case someone who reads your Weibo post travels back to the Anshi Rebellion, wears a Taoist costume to meet Emperor Li Taishang, and claims to go to overseas fairy mountains to find Yang Meimei who has died, then take this sentence "no one whispers in the middle of the night" as an excuse. To deceive the old man with evidence, you are all accomplices!accomplice!

Let's make a big fuss, let's stop here for this time-traveling journey.Maybe when I go back to the unit, I will have to suspend my job to write an inspection or something.

References & in-depth understanding recommendations for this article:

Zhang Hongmei. Festivals and Customs of the Tang Dynasty. Taiyuan: Shanxi People's Publishing House, 2010
Chinese New Year!Wearing cotton-padded jackets, setting off firecrackers, lucky money... Sorry, you are wearing the wrong dynasty

Chinese New Year
A piece of colorful clouds welcomes the dawn, and ten thousand red candles move the spring.On the occasion of the Spring Festival, all employees of Tang Chuan Company (it seems that there are only two or three people in total) wish you a New Year.At the same time, the "Festival Specials" New Year's Eve and New Year's Day tours are about to depart. This special offer is buy one get one free, and wear on New Year's Eve comes with a free New Year's Day. Don't miss this opportunity!

According to the usual practice, before the festive festival group trips, the precautions for landing should be released first.The time-traveling tip during the Chinese New Year is—it’s best not to become an official!

Why do you ask?Didn't the previous time-traveling groups all become officials, especially high-ranking officials, who were more comfortable?Spend public money on meals, hunt and hunt if you have nothing to do, and the government will provide servants... But, if you want to enjoy a leisurely annual vacation where you eat when you are full, eat after sleep, chat every day and don’t work, then listen to me, you must It's best to time travel as a commoner, or as a child!Officials are very hard during the Chinese New Year. As for why, I will talk about it later...

So, this time we are going to travel to an ordinary wealthy family in Chang'an City. The age is set to be younger, maybe twelve or thirteen years old. We can barely attend the New Year's Eve dinner, and we can play wildly in a mess. Don't worry about it. So many rules.Talk about it, just sit down, the guests will arrive as soon as they open their eyes.

Arrived... Hey, stand still, guest, pay attention to the guy next to you!Quick flash!Ouch, I bumped into it...why did you step on someone's foot again?Ah, the mask on your face has fallen off, quickly pick it up and put it on, or you will be crushed if you slow down...

Blame me, blame me, I only checked the travel time, but I didn’t choose the landing place, I’m sorry... You fell directly into the exorcism brigade on the New Year’s Eve Street in Chang’an City. Look at this crowded, lively, cheering and laughing crowd , What a Chinese New Year atmosphere.Ouch, guest, please stop glaring at me like this. The mask on your face is quite scary, coupled with this murderous look, look, the child next to you is scared to cry.

You ask what exorcism is?I scratched my head, how to explain it?In the simplest terms, you think of it as an event like the Brazilian Carnival, where everyone walks in groups on New Year’s Eve, for democracy and freedom... ahem, it’s to celebrate the New Year, pray for blessings, and spontaneously participate in some dance and music performances It’s all about creating a festive and joyful Chinese New Year atmosphere for entertaining people and yourself.

To explain it in a little more detail, you know there is a saying that the "year" is a monster, right?The Chinese New Year already contains quite a strong element of expelling ghosts and evildoers, keeping peace and praying for good luck, and "expelling Nuo" is a ritual that embodies this function. It has lasted for thousands of years in ancient China. In modern times, some villages Still have.

Of course, in most cities, citizens are not encouraged to go to the streets to dance the Great God on New Year's Eve, so you can travel through it with great difficulty and experience it.I solemnly suggest that you can secretly replace the ghost who was beaten up during the exorcism ceremony with your top leader/boss/client/relative...

Is it more comfortable to think so?Well, what kind of exorcism is it you ask?What are the technical points?It's easy to say, it's very simple.

The most concise and environmentally friendly exorcism brigade, there is a pair of men and women in the front, wearing the masks of an old man and an old woman to lead the dance. The masked ones are called child protectors; the others wear all kinds of ghost masks and act as villains.Everyone walked, danced, played and sang, most of them mainly joined in the fun, and the professional lead dancers in front had lyrics, and most of the lyrics were about how righteous human beings beat up ghosts.

You said that the front is too chaotic and you can't hear what they are singing?Well, let me retell the two "Exorcism Ci"① for you:

When I came to the gate of the palace from afar, I saw a group of devils, and there was a Hei Lundun among them, who squatted straight up and put his head on his back.Wear an airbag and wear a brazier.His eyes are red, and he wears scarlet robes.Albatron strong, Bi Wencun.The atrium was boiling, and there was chaos in the courtyard.Call Zhong Kui and block the door.Go to the head, deflate and smoke.Deterrence (folding) the ribs are broken, and the tendons are cramped.Pull out the tongue, cut off the lips.The true south must be thousands of miles away, but the true north is far away!

Still don't understand?Another free translation of classical Chinese into vernacular:
As soon as I got to the door from a distance, I saw a group of ghosts and monsters. There was a big fool squatting on the eaves of the house.His whole body was glowing green and red, with red eyes and red trousers.The red fire was green outside, scaring the courtyard into chaos.Call Zhong Kui, guard the door, jump on the ghost head and fart Xun.As soon as the ghost smoked him, he fell down, breaking his ribs and cramping his tendons.She pulled out her tongue, cut off her lips, and kicked thousands of miles away, going south to north to serve as an army!

The translation is not good, everyone understands the spirit.Anyway, the exorcising poems are similar with minor differences, and another one is similar:
When I came to the palace from afar, I saw the devil laughing and frightening.Snuggle under the wall, near the hedge shed.The head is cocked, and the eyes are closed.Riding a wild fox, going around the alleys.Catch him and pick him up.He shut his mouth and slapped his face.Grind the inside of the mill, the inner side of the stone.The wok soup is rotten, and the bean vinegar is fried.Set it on fire and grab it with a gun.Cut with a knife, cut the flesh.Because now exorcising Nuo and eliminating ghosts and demons, Naqing Xianxiang will be free from disasters!

① "Expelling Nuo Ci", the two poems quoted here are all from Dunhuang manuscripts, and some extremely rare characters have been adjusted.

(End of this chapter)