Beijing was the capital of several dynasties, and the rule of each dynasty was different; for example, the Khitans in modern times, the Jurchens in the Jin Dynasty, the Mongols in the Yuan Dynasty, the Han in the Ming Dynasty, and the Manchus in the Qing Dynasty. Although the lifestyles and customs of people of all ethnic groups are different, they have become rich and colorful in content and form after thousands of years of mutual influence, evolution and assimilation. Regardless of the three different classes of people in the past dynasties: the royal family, the nobility and the people, they all have to fully demonstrate their "New Year culture" on the issue of "Celebrating the New Year". Among them, the essence and dross coexist, advanced and backward coexist, feudal superstition and simple materialism emerge at the same time. Therefore, in our tours and tour guide explanations, we need to apply historical materialism and dialectical materialism, discard the rough and select the essential, discard the false and retain the true, so as to promote the excellent traditional national culture and folk culture of the Chinese nation.
The origin of setting off firecrackers in Beijing
Both the government and the people are very particular about purchasing firecrackers. my country has a long history of setting off firecrackers during festivals and festive days. It is said that in ancient times, there was a monster called "Nian" who came out to harm people and animals every 365 days, and people did not dare to go out at that time. Occasionally one year, a naughty boy burned bamboo to keep warm and played. The flames of the bamboo burned into the sky and crackled, scaring the monster "Nian" away. People found peace and celebrated the Spring Festival. Since then, setting off firecrackers has become a must-have for people to ward off evil spirits and welcome gods.
The feudal dynasty held New Year holidays such as "sealing" of the government and "sealing the stage" of the opera house. In order to show its importance to the "New Year" to welcome the spring and its gifts to the officials and the people, from the 19th to the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, the emperor in charge of the astronomical calendar The Tianjian selected an "auspicious day" and announced to all government offices in the capital and the country to uniformly seal official seals, and officials began to take a holiday for the New Year. Subsequently, all Liyuan theaters also closed their stages, suspended performances, and took a holiday until the beginning of the new year to resume performances.
At this time, the "Twelfth Moon City", which was experiencing unprecedented prosperity in urban and rural areas across the country, entered a climax, and people carried out a large-scale cleaning to clean up their living environment. The 23rd of the twelfth lunar month is the day to worship the Kitchen God, and it is also known as the "Little New Year". Then the "Big New Year" New Year's Eve will come soon.
Hanging New Year pictures, pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, and pasting the word "福" upside down
Temple fair culture - Beijing is the home of Chinese temple fairs
Beijing has been the home of temple fairs since the Qin and Han Dynasties Important towns in northern China, especially the capitals of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, have extremely profound cultural heritage. As far as the Ming and Qing Dynasties are concerned, Beijing has more than 1,000 temples of various types, ranking first in the country. If there are many temples, there will naturally be more temple fairs. There are temple fairs almost every day, 365 days a year, which are colorful and beautiful. For example, the "ghost hunting" in the Lama Temple, the "tour" of the City God's Temple, the Dharma boat burning on July 15th, the lantern burning of the White Pagoda on October 25th, etc. are all grand events of the temple fair. The most famous ancient and modern traditional folk temple fairs and markets in Beijing include Baiyunguan, Changdian, Bailongtan, Ditan, Longtan Lake, etc.
In addition, Beijing’s flower fairs throughout the ages are unique and can be found in both urban and rural areas. The flower fair is famous for its skills, mainly including Shaolin martial arts, walking on stilts, playing with Chinese flags, Taishi, and Shaoshi, etc. The Incense Flower Show at Miaofeng Mountain is the best flower show in Beijing. The Empress Dowager Cixi built a "Tiaoyuan Zhai" on the northeast side of the Summer Palace to watch the parade and their wonderful performances.
The concept of Hutong culture
Beijing’s Hutong culture has a long history and far-reaching significance. According to research, the word "hutong" comes from Mongolian, which means that a place with a "well" is a place where people live. Therefore, in ancient times, it was called "square well" and "market place".
Beijing’s Hutongs date back to the Yuan Dynasty. The word “Hutong” appears in Yuan dramas such as “Shamen Island Zhang Sheng Cooks the Sea” and other works. At the beginning of the 13th century AD, the Mongolian leader Genghis Khan led his troops southward and burned down the capital city of Jinzhong located outside today's Guang'an Gate. His grandson Kublai Khan lived in the beautiful "Da Ning Palace" on the northeastern outskirts of the capital city of Jinzhong, which is now Beihai. Qionghua Island. According to the original biography of "History of the Yuan Dynasty": Kublai Khan reused Liu Bingzhong, a great Han talent from Xingtai, Hebei Province, who was proficient in astronomy, geography, classics, laws and calendars, and three types of Liuren, and ordered him to preside over the design and construction of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. In order to embody the concept of "imperial supremacy" and the rule of the people, Liu Bingzhong based on the Feng Shui knowledge of Yin and Yang, Five Elements, Bagua and Qimen Shields in the Book of Changes, as well as the imperial capital in "Zhou Li Kao Gong Ji" It should be a large square city with three gates on each side. The name of the city should be based on Bagua.
Moreover, the central part of the city is the imperial palace, and outside the palace is the imperial city system of "the former dynasty and the back market, with the ancestors on the left and the community on the right". Therefore, Liu Bingzhong built the Yuan capital with Beihai as the center, that is, the inner palace and the inner and outer cities. The overall planning, design and construction of the central axis layout facing south and the system of left-right symmetry have resulted in most streets running north-south, while the streets and alleys run east-west. At the same time, there are 50 residential areas built in units of "fang", and the fangs are separated by alleys of different widths. This kind of alley is not only a traffic channel, but also a fire isolation zone between "fangs", so it is also called "fire tunnel, fire lane, fire lane" and other names. Because the Yuan Dynasty built by Liu Bingzhong is like a Yin-Yang Bagua diagram, very rigorous and majestic. In addition, Liu Bingzhong's student Guo Shoujing scientifically managed the capital's water system, which made the Yuan Dynasty full of infinite charm of oriental civilization. It was deeply praised by Italian traveler Marco Polo.
According to relevant historical data, there were more than 400 alleys in Dadu in the Yuan Dynasty. After the Ming Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty, the capital was rebuilt on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty. It was divided into 36 squares and had 1,170 alleys. After the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, the old city was used and renamed the capital. There are 2077 alleys in the inner and outer city. With the rapid development of urban construction after liberation, there are now more than 6,000 old and new alleys.
Hutong is not only a general name for streets, lanes, roads and lanes, but also has strong "Beijing flavor" cultural characteristics like Peking Opera and Peking Opera. It has extremely rich humanistic connotations and is an important part of Beijing's history and folk customs. , the birthplace and cornucopia of interesting stories and allusions.
Shabu-boiled mutton-famous traditional flavor
According to historical research, hot pot existed in my country during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Using hot pot to cook chicken, fish, pigs, etc. has been widely popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. By the Qing Dynasty, hot pot had become quite popular. According to historical records, in the first year of Jiaqing (1796), Emperor Qianlong held the "Thousands of Old Banquets" in the palace. More than 1,550 hot pots were served, and the main meal was boiled mutton, which shows how popular it is with upright officials. Beijing's mutton-shabu originates from the ethnic minority areas in northeastern China during the Warring States Period. Introduced to Guan Nei in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, mutton hot pot was the most popular winter delicacy among the royal family of the Qing Dynasty. Beijing's hotpot mutton is generally available after autumn and removed from the pot before the end of May. The first shabu-shabu restaurant opened was Zhengyanglou. After the opening of "Donglaishun Mutton Restaurant" in 1914, it replaced Zhengyanglou through competition and became famous in the capital.
Beijing Barbecue - Mongolian flavor
Barbecue is said to have originated from the Mongolian region in the north and has a strong custom beyond the Great Wall. Later, it was gradually spread to Guan Nei, and barbecue appeared in Beijing in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. "Nanwan Beiji", two restaurants specializing in barbecue, both opened in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. The BBQ Wan located on Yi Nei Street was developed during the Kangxi period by Wanmin, a Hui people from Jingdong Dachang who sold meat from a cart. The barbecue season at the Shichahai Yinding Bridge was founded in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty.
The ancient traditional barbecue uses a special stove. The baking pan is made of closely arranged steel bars, with a small gap in the middle, called a "broiler".
When barbecuing, firewood or charcoal is burned in the furnace, and the thinly sliced ??meat is grilled on the "grill" and then eaten with condiments. Nowadays, the meat slices are first mixed with soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, spices, green onions, ginger, garlic and other condiments, and then the meat is placed on the "roast" with long chopsticks and grilled. The "sizzling" sound is full of aroma, and the meat can be eaten as soon as it is roasted. This way of eating and drinking while roasting is full of natural game flavor.
Barbecue starts in autumn and stops in summer. We are very particular about the raw materials and must use vegetable cattle from "Beikou". Farmed beef is always unavailable. The appropriate age of the cattle is 4-5 years old, and the optimal weight is two to three hundred kilograms. And only three parts of the beef, the upper brain, tenderloin, and ribs, are used. In addition, the skill of cutting meat is also very important. Beef and mutton must be cut very thinly to be suitable for barbecue.
The characteristic dialect of Beijing is rich in flavor
Beijing’s pronunciation is both beautiful and easy to understand, and the language is rich and vivid. It is one of the best pronunciations and languages ??in the country. my country’s Mandarin (Mandarin) and Chinese Pinyin , which is based on Beijing pronunciation.
However, the authentic dialects in Beijing are not easy for people to understand quickly without certain explanations. They have their own unique charm and dialect characteristics. Here are some simple explanations of the relevant dialects: Zizier: Oneself. We: We. Excuse me: Ask for help or express your gratitude. Talking about mountains: talking nonsense. Maoer Ni: Keep your secrets secret, and don’t tell others. Poor mouth: talkative, easy to talk nonsense. To be stupid: to be in a daze and pretend to be confused. Set of magnets: Pull relationship. Funny: joking. Bubble: finished, blown, messed up. Kill people: rip off, deceive others.
Wei Tou: embarrassment, timidity, fear. Porcelain solid: strong, firm and reliable. Bu Zhe: No way. Huang: It didn’t work. Bi bao: Don’t do that. Eat heart: excessive heart. Beerhao: Very good, very good. Stab Louzi: cause trouble, cause trouble. Shabu: Breaking one's word and making fun of others. Goodbye: The relationship breaks down.
New Year's Eve Preparations
Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the "twelfth lunar month", the first day of the twelfth lunar month, has been approaching the "year end". From the 8th day of the twelfth lunar month - Laba - to New Year's Eve, Beijingers are the busiest days to prepare for the Spring Festival.
December 8 of the lunar calendar is the "Laba Festival" of the Han people. It comes from the ancient "Twelfth Day" when "the animals and animals sacrificed their ancestors at the end of the year". "Laba" is a signal to enter the new year, and is known as "New Year". It is a period when the rich and powerful "collect debts" and the poor "dodge debts".
The main food of the Laba Festival is "Laba porridge", and there are many theories about the origin of its custom: one says that Shennong discovered the hundred grains and created agricultural production and life. Therefore, people used a variety of grains, The fruits are cooked into porridge for sacrifice. The second is that Zhu Yuanzhang was a beggar before he ascended the throne, and ate porridge cooked with grains from mouse holes to satisfy his hunger. After Zhu Yuanzhang became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in order not to forget the sufferings of the past, he cooked "Laba" cereal porridge on the twelfth lunar month and rewarded all officials to inspire the spirit of hard work. Third, it is said that Sakyamuni attained enlightenment and became a Buddha on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is called the Enlightenment Day. Buddhists cook porridge to worship Buddha, which has become a major Buddhist ritual.
According to "Yanjing Years' Records": People are very particular about cooking Laba porridge. They usually use yellow rice, white rice, glutinous rice, millet, chestnuts, water chestnuts, red clowns, peeled jujubes, etc. and boil them with water. Cooked, plus almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, grapes, red and white sugar and other ingredients, it is fragrant, very sweet and delicious, so even modern Beijingers are still willing to retain this food custom of eating "Laba porridge"!
Peking Opera roles
Peking Opera roles are also called roles, which can be divided into five major roles: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo and Chou.
1. Sheng Xing is referred to as "sheng". The birth elements are divided into Xu Sheng (Lao Sheng), Hong Sheng, Xiao Sheng, Wu Sheng, Wa Sheng, etc. It is one of the important professions in Peking Opera.
Xusheng (老生): a person in the play who is middle-aged or older and wears a beard. Due to their different personalities and identities, they can be divided into An Gong Laosheng or Singing Laosheng (such as Playing the role of emperor, bureaucrat, literati, etc.), relying on old students (such as playing military generals), declining old students (such as playing poor people, etc.).
Hongsheng: A person with a red face, such as Guan Yu, Zhao Kuangyin, etc.
Xiaosheng: refers to the Lingzisheng (generals with pheasant feathers, princes, etc.), Shamao students (official students), fan students (scholars), poor students (poor literati), etc. in the play.
Wusheng: For the martial arts characters in the play, those who wear thick-soled boots are called long-reliance (dunzi) wusheng, and those who wear thin-soled boots are called short-duty (spinner) wusheng.
2． Dan Xing is referred to as "Dan". It is divided into Qingyi, Hua Dan, Wu Dan, Daoma Dan, Lao Dan, Tie Dan, Gui Dan and other roles. The dan roles are all female.
Tsing Yi: Mainly singing, playing the role of a good wife and mother.
Huadan: Also called Huadan, it is characterized by colorful costumes and mainly plays the roles of queen, princess, noble lady, female general, hawker, village girl and so on.
Wu Dan and Daoma Dan: women who are good at performing martial arts.
Lao Dan: Singing in bennozi, mostly middle-aged and elderly women.
3. Jing Xing is referred to as "Jing", also known as Hua Lian. Jingjiao refers to the painted-faced character in the face painting, which does not seem to be clean, so it means "clean". Jingxing can be divided into the following types of roles: the bronze-hammered painted face and the black-headed painted face, which mainly sing; The master's painted face is called general, monk, green forest hero, martial arts face, beating painted face, etc. The bronze hammer painted face is called Zhengjing, the painted face of the martial artist is called Fujing, the martial arts painted face is called Wujing, and the Wuer painted face is called Hongjing. In terms of performance style, They all have different characteristics.
4. Most of the people in this industry are middle-aged and above. Those who are the first to appear are the opposite. It is called "mo".
5. Ugly behavior is called "ugly" in the play, and the "three-painted face" is very different from the painted face.
Chou Xing is divided into Wen Chou and Wu Chou. Wen Chou is divided into square scarf Chou (literati, Confucian scholars); Wu Chou specializes in martial arts roles such as falling, beating, turning, and throwing. According to the animal zodiac, Chou belongs to the Ox, and the Ox is stupid. , ugly is synonymous with stupidity.
But the Wu Chou on the stage is also called open-mouthed dancing, and he can speak and dance, perform a lively and smart character, and is good at performing martial arts. This is completely different from the ugly and stupid nature of Niu.
In addition, there are Su Chou who plays Suzhou Bai Zhe, playing official Chou, Chou wearing straw robe and belt, and Chou wearing a felt hat playing the role of market person, farmers, workers and common people. The roles are different and colorful.
Manchu and Han Banquet - the highest "state banquet" of the Qing Dynasty
This is the highest-level "state banquet" of the Qing Dynasty and the most famous banquet in the history of our country. It is mainly composed of Manchu snacks and Han delicacies, hence its name.
Because before the Qing Dynasty, the pastries and dishes were relatively monotonous, and the catering was not particular. But after entering the Central Plains, the capital gathered delicacies from all over the country. Moreover, the members of the imperial dining room are composed of Manchu and Han chefs, so a full range of Chinese dishes can be combined into one. By the Kangxi period, the Manchu-Han banquet had taken shape. It is said that when Emperor Xuan Ye (Kangxi) of the Qing Dynasty tasted this rich and colorful feast full of Chinese dishes for the first time in the palace, he was extremely happy and full of praise. He wrote the four characters "Full Banquet of Manchu and Han Dynasties", which established the tradition from then on. its place in palace banquets. During the Qianlong period, the Manchu-Han banquet reached its climax. Foods from the Hui, Tibetan, and Mongolian ethnic groups were added to form a "Five Nationalities Celebration Banquet" full-scale Manchu and Han banquet. Its superb cooking skills, luxurious banquets, exquisite tableware and complicated etiquette are all unprecedented. This kind of feast could only be enjoyed by feudal emperors, queens, relatives of the emperor and senior officials in the Qing court.
The Manchu-Han Banquet began in the heyday of Kangxi and Qianlong and has a history of more than 300 years. According to regulations, there are 108 dishes of various sizes, including 54 dishes from Nanlai and 54 from Northern China. There are 44 kinds of snacks, one table requires dozens of kilograms of flour, and many precious fruits are used. The Manchu-Han banquet is a typical barbecue banquet. Due to the many famous dishes and delicacies, it usually takes three days to taste them all.
Beijing Roast Duck - China's No. 1 Food
Chinese Roast Duck has a long history. According to the records of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589), it has been It has a history of more than 1,400 years. Roast duck was often eaten in the courts of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was later spread to the people. According to historical research, Beijing's first roast duck restaurant, "Bianbi Fang", was founded in the fifth year of Xianfeng's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1855). It was listed for business on Luomashi Street in Xuanwu District and mainly sold braised roast duck. Most of the masters who make roast duck are from Rongcheng, Shandong Province. Therefore, Beijing roast duck is both a palace flavor and a famous Lu Lai delicacy.
The Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant on the east side of Qianmen Street was founded in 1864, the third year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, by Yang Chuanren, a native of Ji County, Hebei Province. It is famous for its hanging oven roast duck. Due to its more exquisite baking techniques, the quality and reputation of its bakery soon surpassed that of Bianyifang.
The roast duck is made from high-quality snow-white Peking duck. According to research, the Peking duck's ancestral home is in the south. It was brought to Beijing with water transport ships in the early Ming Dynasty and bred in the Chaobai River area in the east of Jingdong, hence the name "Baihe Pu duck". Later, it was moved to Yuquan Mountain in the west of Beijing to be stocked and cultivated into fine varieties. The duck bred by artificial feeding is called Beijing stuffed duck.
Peking ducks grow quickly and can weigh 5-7 pounds in 60-65 days. The ducklings are fed freely before 45 days of age, and are artificially fed for the last 15-20 days, every 6 hours, day and night. The stuffed duck undergoes a series of processes such as slaughtering, removing feathers, removing internal organs, washing, filling with water, blowing drums, and coating before it can be baked in the oven.
There are generally three baking methods:
1. Braised oven method: The oven has a door, an iron grate is set up in the furnace, straw is burned under the grate, the cooked stuffed duck is placed on the iron grate, the oven door is closed for barbecue, so it is called braised oven roast duck.
2． Hanging oven method: The mouth of the oven is arched and has no door. The processed stuffed duck is hung on an iron hook in the oven, and the bottom is baked with pear wood or jujube wood over a slow fire.
3. The barbecued pork method is similar to making barbecued pork and requires manual operations one by one. It is labor-intensive and time-consuming and has low output, so it has been gradually eliminated.
The roasted duck needs to be sliced ??and served. Each duck needs to be cut into about 120 slices. The slices must be skin-on and have the same amount of fat and leanness. The technical requirements are high.
The duck slices are served with onion segments, cucumber strips, garlic (a little), sweet noodle sauce and other condiments, and are eaten wrapped in the staple lotus leaf cake or hollow sesame seed pancake. It is fragrant, sweet, crispy and refreshing.