Old Beijing

Author: Xu Chengbei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The "Old Beijing · Imperial City Folk Customs" in your hands is the second part of my "Old Beijing" trilogy. Compared to the first part, "Old Beijing · Imperial City's Lingering Echoes," this one focuses on depicting the lower classes while also breaking down a complete Old Beijing into more than 20 items, much like the art of "dissecting an ox." The culture of the old capital is like a giant "ox"; the dissection must first strive for accuracy before seeking vividness. Although it primarily touches upon the "hardware," I hope to gain insights into the "software" through research and exploration. The table of contents of this book was once planned to be quite "neat," but later I deliberately "disrupted" it to create the "cluttered" arrangement you see now. The purpose is to immerse readers in an aesthetic "kaleidoscope"—before reading each section, you "shake" it, and it reveals a new pattern that was previously unpredictable. The hardware of the old capital culture is "infinitely many." How did the past handle the relationships among them? Furthermore, each hardware has high, medium, and low levels of hierarchy. Are different levels willing to stay in their respective places? Moreover, in navigating the numerous factors of the capital (such as economy, politics, military, law, culture, and art), what methods were used in the past to maintain stability? After careful examination, the "secrets of the heavens" are finally revealed—the single character "harmony" () from traditional philosophy made the old capital "harmonious in relationships" in all three aspects above. Often, without resorting to force, conflicts were resolved (or mitigated) through coordination and gradual progress. Today, we are fortunate to be in a new era of history, and the nature of social conflicts has changed. Therefore, the solutions should also differ. The "Old Beijing" of the distant past has its experiences, which have now emerged prominently at the end of the century, offering inspiration to the present. Alas, alas. My satisfaction with this book exceeds this. But what truly speaks to the issue may still be the last part of the trilogy, "Old Beijing · Prelude to the Front Gate."