Celebration Hall (Old Beijing Birthday Celebration Customs)

Author: Chang Renchun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: Looking at the global publishing industry, while third-world countries like China are striving to introduce books on Western science, technology, cultural entertainment, etc., Western countries have also developed a strong interest in the history and culture of many developing countries, including China. The popularity of books on traditional Chinese culture at the Frankfurt Book Fair over the years proves this point. This book focuses on the birthday celebration customs and grand hall ceremony rituals in Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republican period. Life ceremonies, particularly the joyous occasions of marriage and birthdays, are the main events. The grand hall ceremony is generally used only for birthday celebrations. As it is a grand occasion in red and joyous affairs, it is called the joyous grand hall ceremony, which is essentially a performance form of social interaction, including drama and quyi (Chinese traditional opera). This book not only systematically introduces different forms of birthday celebrations, such as poor birthday, child birthday, and ghost birthday, as well as their preparation, procedures, and etiquette, but also provides a detailed explanation of the organization, play arrangements, content, and rituals of the two types of grand hall ceremonies. In addition to the birthday grand hall ceremony, this book also covers other types of grand hall ceremonies, such as the god-rewarding grand hall ceremony, the group banquet grand hall ceremony, and the brothel opening grand hall ceremony. The book also includes traditional lyrics used in joyous grand hall ceremonies, for enthusiasts to sing along.