Chapter 784: Can’t Control It
In old age, there were not only many temple fairs and temple markets in the capital, but each had its own characteristics.
Although many people are confused and confused, there is still a clear difference between temple fairs and temple markets.
The temple fair is mainly about offering incense, and the temple market is mainly about selling goods.
And the time cycles of the two are also different. Temple fairs are held once a year, and temple markets are held every month.
Let’s first talk about the temple fairs in Beijing that focus on offering incense.
The first one in the queue is the Laoye Temple in Qianmen Wengcheng.
The so-called Laoye Temple is actually the Guandi Temple. Old people in the capital all call Guandi "Laoye".
Speaking of which, there are actually more than a hundred Laoye temples in the capital, but the one in Qianmen Wengcheng is the most special.
Because it is the whole year, it opens the temple on the first day of the first lunar month.
This "scarcity" makes Emperor Guan here particularly proud and incorruptible.
Everyone feels that since the "master" here does not care about folk incense, he is naturally impartial.
Since there is no malpractice for personal gain, it must be effective.
So from a time perspective, there will never be anything earlier than this temple fair.
The incense here can be said to be the most prosperous among all the old temples in Beijing.
Every year after New Year's Eve, at midnight on the first day of the first lunar month, people all over the capital who want to offer incense flock to the Laoye Temple in Qianmen Wengcheng to offer incense.
Because there are too many people, it is impossible to light incense according to the rules for Guandi here. People just throw the incense into the incense pond.
So much so that the flames in the fragrant pond were two or three feet high and never stopped.
In addition to Guandi Temple, during the first lunar month, people in the capital also go to Wuxiancai Temple.
The Five Gods of Wealth refers to the five thieves who acted chivalrously, robbed the rich and helped the poor - Cao Renguang, Liu Yiguang, Li Chengguang, Ge Xinguang and Zhang Zhiguang.
Therefore, this temple fair is naturally close to the people. The most famous activities are "picking up money" and "borrowing ingots".
In order to make a fortune, everyone rushes to participate and get good luck.
In addition, in the first month of the year, there are Baiyunguan Temple Fair and Yonghegong Temple Fair in Beijing.
The main activity of Baiyun Temple is on the eighth day of the first lunar month, when people go to the Xingxiu Hall to worship their natal stars.
The Lama Temple is full of lamas. People go there from the 29th of the first lunar month to the first of the second lunar month, mainly to see the custom of Tibetan Buddhism - lamas fighting ghosts.
In March, it was the turn of the Pantao Palace Temple Fair.
This temple fair is famous for its many gods and stalls.
In addition to the statues of gods in the temple, the people in the capital pay homage to the reliefs in the temple.
From the Tathagata of the West, the Queen Mother, to all kinds of gods and goddesses.
The market in front of the temple gate also vaguely echoes it.
Not only are there a lot of local food, toys for children, daily necessities and clothing, but there are also a lot of people doing tricks.
It sounds like gods from all walks of life have come to attend the meeting.
So in the past, although the Pantao Palace was small, it was well-known throughout the country, not just in the capital.
There is also a dust-dusting party at Dongyue Temple in March.
Although Dongyue Temple is most famous for the Seventy-Six Divisions of Hell.
What about climbing a mountain of knives, descending from a pan of oil, holding a pillar of fire, being struck by lightning, rolling a nail board, cutting out tongues...
The whole temple is a complete scene of hell, which looks a bit scary and makes people stop in fear.
Don’t forget, there is also Yuelao Hall here.
In the past, if someone’s son was still unmarried in his twenties, the parents would come to Dongyue Temple to buy a red thread and ask Yue Xia to find a match for their son.
So this temple fair is still very close to the people.
In addition, the water flowing through Qihua Gate (Chaoyang Gate) is the Tonghui River. Many lotus roots and water chestnuts are sold at this temple fair, which are dug from nearby.
This also corresponds to the good omen of "a match made in heaven" and ensures the prosperity of incense.
In April, people in the capital make it a point to go to the temple fair in Miaofeng Mountain.
Because the road is far away, people have to ride donkeys and take a train after leaving Xizhimen, just like a spring outing.
In addition to seeing the spring scenery along the way, passing the tea shed with three ginseng, and watching the devout pilgrims kowtowing all the way, you can also see people from all over the country walking on stilts, carrying incense sticks, and beating gongs and drums to attend meetings. Lao Hui".
They are all Lianjiazi, and they are very vindictive to each other.
Although according to the rules, "Laohui" must be courteous to each other, isn't it easy to find fault with each other?
You can start a fight if you say you are not polite.
So you can often see several "martial arts exchanges" along the way.
In the eyes of many people, as long as they are not "old men" who went to the mountains with a bruised nose and a swollen face, they are not heroes.
But once you go up the mountain, everything becomes peaceful and no one can do anything, even if you don't want to.
Otherwise, the "Shuanhui" will be very embarrassed and will come forward to "discipline".
Think about it, anyone who can organize events to catch up with the party is not only rich, but also able to poke people around. He is a wealthy person from all walks of life.
In May, people in the capital should go to the Reclining Buddha Temple for worship again.
In addition to seeing the two generals of Hengha and the Four Heavenly Kings, the most important thing is to touch the Reclining Buddha.
There is a custom in the capital that people should touch the reclining Buddha wherever they feel uncomfortable. If they have a headache, they should touch their head, and if their feet hurt, they should touch their feet.
So the characteristic of this temple fair is that there are many patients.
No one knows whether he is in charge or not, but people in the past believe it anyway.
The Zhongding Temple Fair in June is a rural-style temple fair, and it is also the home venue for "old associations" from all over the country to spend money and gain fame.
Outside the temple gate, there are many people selling not only agricultural tools, but also agricultural and sideline products.
Even the tea sheds are sponsored by various "old associations", and pilgrims can drink for free.
At the same time, those "old societies" also have a place where they can show off their skills openly and openly. They will take turns performing in the first hall of the temple.
There are all kinds of five tiger sticks, Shaolin sticks, gun and knife fighting...
Unlike the Miaofengshan Temple Fair, there were fewer fights at this time, it was purely a literary competition.
The Jiangnan City God’s Temple is the busiest in July, and the emphasis is on the City God’s patrol.
So this is a stilt competition among "old associations" from all over the country, but it is also the most prone to getting angry and fighting.
You know, everyone has to perform together, but their levels are different, and the competition venue is in front of the temple, not inside the temple.
The varying degrees of applause given by the crowd can easily arouse the emotions of the "old association".
People who cannot afford to lose often like to stir up troubles and judge winning or losing with their fists.
In addition, in the evening of this day, there is an event throughout the city where lotus lanterns are set off to worship ancestors.
There are nursery rhymes in the capital, lotus lanterns, lotus lanterns, light them today and throw them away tomorrow.
On this day, river lanterns will be placed wherever there is water in the capital, including Beihai, the city moat, and the Tonghui River.
In August, the temple fair of the Zaogun Temple ends the whole year.
Needless to say, the Kitchen God is the founder of the kitchen and restaurant, so people in the catering industry come to worship him.
The food at this temple fair is also quite unique. Some restaurants will honor the ancestor and set up stalls in front of the temple to sell their specialty food.
The special tea and snacks of the tea house will also be sold in front of the temple on this day.
And because the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, there are also many people selling rabbits.
After this, there will be no more temple fairs as soon as the weather gets cold.
Because regardless of the monks, Taoists or nuns, the days for temple fairs should be chosen in spring, summer and autumn, which are pleasant days for traveling.
Holding temple fairs in winter, with the current exception of the New Year's Day, lacks a mass base at other times, which will definitely affect income.
As for the ones held all year round in the capital, which rotate according to the day every month, they are actually the four major temple markets.
The Earth Temple is on the third day, the White Pagoda Temple is on the fourth and fifth days, the Huguo Temple is on the seventh and eighth days, and the Longfu Temple is on the ninth and tenth days.
The most striking feature of this kind of temple market is that stalls are set up both inside and outside the temple.
Longfu Temple has the highest style.
In addition to several old bookstores, there are also those selling toys, calligraphy and paintings, and jewelry and jade.
But it is mainly famous for its bird market, pigeon market, songbird market and flower market, which is equivalent to the flower and bird market in the past.
Baita Temple and Huguo Temple are in the middle.
There are many department stores, but they are all similar in that they mainly sell daily necessities.
The Tu Tu Temple is the lowest grade, selling agricultural tools, agricultural and sideline products, and ordinary flowers.
Really speaking, the flower market, Tianqiao and Changdian in the capital are special cases among special cases.
Because these three places are essentially a large market born out of the temple market and evolved over a long period of time.
The flower market evolved into a market because the incense in the Fire Temple was cut off.
Held on the fourth day of every month, the fourth, fourteenth and twenty-fourth of the month.
The main products sold are silk flowers, velvet flowers, flowers from the capital, various women's products such as rouge and gouache, as well as bamboo and willow products.
To put it bluntly, the flower market is a place where girls and wives like to hang out, and the male customers always accompany the female customers.
The origin of the flyover is similar to that of the flower market. It was originally a flea market in front of the Red Temple.
Because it is a poor place and is designed to serve the poor, Tianqiao is located in a second-hand market in the capital, and its level is not high.
At first, it mainly focused on daily necessities, as well as scrap copper and iron. It was a bit like a place where rag collectors gathered.
Later, it gradually evolved into a business focusing on used glasses and clothing appraisals. Only then did Tianqiao begin to prosper, and only then did buskers appear.
So in a place like this, there are many ruffians who bully the market, there are many tiger stalls that deceive people, and the food they sell is unhygienic, and most of them are cheap.
Even the artist's performance is not top-notch. To say it is "three vulgarities" is to glorify it.
In fact, many flyover artists in the past refused to accept female customers.
For example, for crosstalk, this was a popular saying at the time.
"Female guest, please leave. What we are talking about is not human language. Don't dirty your ears."
Let’s put it this way, the people who visit the overpass are not only the streetwalkers who are not doing their jobs, the unemployed poor, the farmers who have moved into the city, and even the clerks and cooks in small workshops who work on the first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, there are also local and foreign people. small businessman, small businessman.
Especially because the overpass is adjacent to the Bada Hutong, this place is even more shameful by the upper-class people and regarded as a low-class place.
Let's put it this way, all those in the capital who pay attention to rules, no matter adults, children, men or women, are not allowed to come to the overpass.
If you want to relieve your boredom and watch sideshows, you can go to the Chengnan Amusement Park near the overpass.
There are many famous actors and actresses there, and there are dedicated people to manage it. There are absolutely no pornographic people, no local gangsters.
Having said that, this is probably the reason why many people are studying overpasses but still can’t come up with any results.
Because it is impossible for educated scholars to come.
When have you ever heard of people like Lu Xun, Zhang Henshui, and Liang Shiqiu visiting the overpass?
The master of some status seems to be just Tongzhi, a big wronged person who was cheated by the eunuch.
In fact, the reason why Tianqiao reached its peak in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China and became famous throughout the country is not that mysterious.
Because it is held every day, the consumption level is low, and the programs are non-vegetarian, it is a good place to make money.
There were so many poor people back then, and most of them were illiterate.
So as far as the real situation is concerned, rather than saying that Tianqiao is a paradise for civilians, it is more appropriate to say that it is a "paradise for the poor".
Of course, where there is low there is high, and where there is vulgarity there is elegance.
Changdian is a completely different example from Tianqiao. It is the only "cultural market" in Beijing.
Although the Changdian Temple Fair is called a temple fair, it is not named after the temple.
Although it has the time attribute of a temple fair, it is held once a year in Neptune Village Park, roughly from the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
However, in essence, it is a market that combines elegance and vulgarity, business and entertainment.
Because the scope of the Changdian Temple Fair covers Liulichang, all the things sold are related to culture, taking a high-end and elegant route.
Jewelry and jade, antique calligraphy and painting, second-hand goods and books, the four treasures of the study... In the old days, there would be a studio selling calligraphy and painting for a mile.
You know, the fake calligraphy and paintings that are piled up in merchants' warehouses that no one pays attention to usually have to be "released" in the first month.
But it is undeniable that there are treasures hidden in these old goods.
Whoever has a good eye can pick it up and buy Gu Yuexuan's snuff bottle, or rare ancient books, or ancient paintings imitated by famous artists.
This is called "recognizing heroes with a keen eye", and there are many people who have found high-quality products.
Therefore, many foreigners come here because of its reputation.
In fact, since the end of the Qing Dynasty, blond foreigners and Japanese women have been coming to the factories and making noises with them.
During the Republic of China, most of the people who visited Changdian were literati and celebrities.
After liberation, the Changdian temple fair was still dominated by intellectual groups.
So at this point, we can roughly understand Ning Weimin’s specific planning ideas for the North Gate and East Gate routes for this Temple of Heaven New Year Garden Party.
He wants to move the former factory to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and Danbi Bridge, turning these two places into the old Neptune Village Park.
No matter inside or outside the courtyard walls, there are books filling the buildings and treasures filling the streets.
It is better to use these high-quality goods to make money from foreigners and upper class people.
Why are cars only allowed to park at the north gate and east gate?
Only bicycles can be parked at the west gate and south gate, not even motorcycles.
Ning Weimin’s intention is to differentiate between customer groups.
In fact, you are not afraid of being deserted. Most people do not want to stop and are not afraid. On the contrary, it is still a dream.
Because what people who like these things need is a relatively quiet environment.
There are too many people here, crowding every stall, which will actually reduce the interest of real customers.
Of course, those who just want a lively place and don’t like this kind of cultural atmosphere are bound to not be disappointed.
Because the two routes to the south gate and west gate were designed by Ning Weimin for ordinary people.
Those who leave here will definitely find their fun once they pass through the Chengzhen Gate.
Actually, to put it bluntly, it was inspired by Kang Shude’s description of the Changdian Temple Fair.
Ning Weimin combined it with his own memory of the future New Year temple fair.
A total of two festivals were held using the Temple of Heaven Park.
One is the temple market along the central axis.
The other is the temple fairs and folk entertainment centered on the Zhai Palace in the west.
In this way, no matter high-end or low-end, elegant or popular, basically everything is included.
It can almost satisfy most people's preferences and catch all customers in one go.
Just like now, among the three people who came to Ditan, the secretary and the deputy director clearly felt the charm of the high-end temple market, and they were a little unable to move.
Not to mention anything else, just the stalls on the outer wall of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests dazzled their eyes.
The endless porcelain stalls, second-hand goods stalls, countless large and small book stalls, and the special arts and crafts manufacturers one after another...
Which one is not worth paying attention to? What about taking a look?
Porcelain, copperware, silverware, second-hand goods, old books, old newspapers, bamboo carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings, tooth carvings, jade carvings, enamel, badges, seals, pens and ink, paper, fans, paperweights, ink cartridges, inkstones , pen holder...
Those items are on white cotton paper. When you open the bag, you will find a pendulum floating on it. Each item is attractive and dazzling. You can never get tired of looking at it...
The secretary and the deputy director unknowingly walked around for half an hour. Even if they just took a quick look, they were not even halfway through.
They were a little afraid to look at it, knowing that if they wanted to take a closer look, they would probably not be able to see all the goods on the stalls in one day.
What is particularly worth mentioning is that both the secretary and the deputy director found something they liked, and they did not control their hands.
Secretary Ganqing’s hobby is writing big characters.
Walking to Dai Yuexuan’s stall, he immediately wanted to buy their lake brush after looking at it.
For no other reason than because Dai Yuexuan was a veteran who customized calligraphy brushes for the first generation of leaders of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He specially displayed two calligraphy brushes customized for leaders in glass covers.
Although the price is very expensive, eight yuan a piece is enough to buy a hero pen.
But the secretary still took out sixteen yuan without hesitation and bought one.
The deputy director is not as elegant as the secretary, but the problem is that he loves to listen to storytelling.
Although it is not as fascinating as Liu Baorui's cross talk "Book Lovers Make Casserole", it is still a bit of a mystery.
On weekdays, he likes to search for narrative storybooks everywhere and buy them whenever he sees them. There are storybooks of all kinds of romance stories at home.
Today, he accidentally discovered a set of "Twelve Money Darts" in the Republic of China among the old books in Laixun Pavilion. It was like encountering a treasure.
He wanted to feast his eyes on such a story that he had never heard before.
So even though the twelve yuan price made him feel pain, he held his nose and paid.
I thought it was like receiving twelve darts.
In short, even they themselves did not expect that this inattention actually caused the Temple of Heaven to win against them.
They each had complicated feelings in their hearts, and unconsciously looked at each other's things in their hands, shaking their heads and smiling bitterly.
As for the driver, although he was not interested in these elegant gadgets and could not understand them, he just reluctantly accompanied the leader around.
But it also felt like it was an eye-opener.
And he also did not escape the fate of contributing profits to the Temple of Heaven Park out of his own pocket.
For popular entertainment, Changdian also has a few things that are very famous. Not only have they been copied by the Temple of Heaven, they are very attractive.
Moreover, the Temple of Heaven Park also has its own innovations, which are even more difficult to refuse.
Speaking of the famous things in Changdian, apart from kites, they are candied haws and windmills.
Although these two things are common in any New Year temple fair, Changdian is famous for its characteristics.
The candied haws on a stick is one foot long. There is a saying, "Three feet of sugar-coated haws are shaken by the wind and are about to break. A bunch of gourds are dipped in rock sugar." Get the candy and tie it into a big bunch.
But none of them are edible.
Just imagine, these things have been standing in the wind and sand for a long time. How can they be eaten when they are covered with sand?
The people who bought him just had a lot of spare money in their pockets, just for fun and to look happy.
The same goes for windmills. The windmills in Changdian cannot be seen elsewhere. They are authentic local handicrafts made by farmers in the suburbs of Beijing taking advantage of the winter slack.
They tied sorghum poles into frames shaped like "日", "田" and "品", and used sorghum strips to form a circle with a diameter of three or four inches, with a small axis in the middle. Dongchang note Dye it in red and green colors and glue the hoop and shaft into a colorful wind wheel.
Use clay to make a snare drum frame the size of a copper coin, and use two layers of hemp paper to frame it together to make a drum skin to make a snare drum.
Then put the wind wheel and the small drum on the stand, and twist a small stick with hemp rope behind the small shaft of the wind wheel. When the wind wheel moves, the small stick will make a drumming sound. If the wind wheel keeps spinning in the wind, the small drum will keep banging.
On the "pin" shaped shelf, twenty or thirty wind wheels can be installed, and there will be twenty or thirty small drums.
As the wind blows, there will be a sound of drums.
Those who buy windmills and candied haws on a stick guard on both sides of the gate entering the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
When the three people from the local altar approached this place, they heard the noisy sound of windmills.
The ancients said that a pond of frogs singing can replace half of the drums, and the sound of the windmill at the door is really no less than ten drums.
So many people, both Chinese and foreign, were attracted to this door.
However, the price is prohibitive.
Because there are no small windmills here. The cheapest one is in the shape of "日" and costs three yuan.
By analogy, the word "tian" means six yuan, and the word "pin" means ten yuan.
Opposite the windmill, the candied haws on the other side of the entrance are the same.
Not to mention the oversized ones, they are just advertisements for recruiting people, and no one really buys them.
Normal size candied haws are the real product.
It is indeed very beautiful. The sugar wind is long and the sugar color is shiny. It looks like a handicraft.
But they dared to sell the "Shanlihong" with seven fruits for 50 cents, the stuffed "Toad Spit Honey" for one piece, and the "Baobao Yam" with various nuts, which was the most expensive, selling for two pieces.
The three people from Ditan looked at these things, all of them were good, but they all thought they were expensive, and they really couldn't bear to pay for them.
Soon they discovered that the only people who were really willing to be fooled were foreigners.
For example, two foreigners, one in each hand, come back holding a big windmill with the word "pin" in the air.
The two walked in the spring breeze and listened to the sound, feeling very contented.
One person also held a bunch of candied haws in his hand.
That’s called a wealthy person. He holds more than 20 yuan of foreign exchange coupons and does this.
It really makes them admire the Temple of Heaven's money-making skills.
Looking back now, this foreigner is simply stupid as a sheep.
It’s not like one person is worth twenty-five, but together they are worth two hundred and fifty.
I don't know if they were envious or jealous, but the three of them were about to leave.
However, at this time, new products came to the candied haws stall.
The two boxes of goods delivered by Tiantan workers on three-wheelers turned out to be ice cream, and it was very expensive, costing 50 cents each.
This made many people laugh.
The first impression is that everyone thinks that the Temple of Heaven Park is too unreliable. Why are they selling this thing in the cold weather?
And it’s so expensive.
You know, the most expensive thing these days is the small bowl of polar bear ice cream, which only costs 30 cents each.
The milk-flavored ice cream that everyone eats on weekdays costs two cents, and the most common popsicles cost a few cents.
The man selling candied haws on a clinker took out two ice creams, tore off the packaging, and inserted them into the glass window where the candied haws were placed. Everyone was stunned at once.
The style of the ice cream is unusual, it actually looks like the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
And it's not just a shape, it's a three-dimensional relief.
Doors, windows, glazed tiles, and roofs are all clear.
The most important thing is that the color is so moist, it looks like butter and is extremely delicate.
There is a saying, if you call someone, call someone else, a thousand calls will not answer, but if goods call someone, they will come with a nod.
At this time, the people from the Temple of Heaven introduced me again, and it worked.
I heard that it is a trial product and it contains a lot of milk. It is not comparable to any popsicle ice cream on the market today.
And because it is winter, the price is discounted by 10 cents. In summer, the price is 60 cents.
Some people can’t help but get ready to make a move.
Looking again, it was a foreigner who got there first.
A pair of dogs and a man actually walked over and grabbed the lead. They took a mouthful of white cream and looked sweet on their faces.
The people in the capital at the scene were finally angry.
No one wants to stare at it anymore. Many people who pride themselves on being strong are eager to spend money to try something new.
The Ditan driver who followed the two leaders couldn't bear it, so he bought one, tore open the package, and couldn't wait to bite it.
However, I was immediately intoxicated by the unimaginably rich milk smell, and even turned a deaf ear to the leader's words.
Until the mouthful slowly melted in his mouth and he swallowed it, he exclaimed, "It's so damn delicious!"
Then I was shocked.
Huh? Why do the two leaders keep looking at me?
Do they also want to...
Oh, it seems that I am too anxious.
What the leader said was that he should take a photo of the ice cream first.
(End of this chapter)