Guo Degang Talks About Beijing ()

Author: Guo Degang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: This book introduces historical stories and legends of old Beijing through the art of monologue comedy. It is both entertaining and touching, allowing readers to learn about the history of old Beijing while laughing. Additionally, the book includes Guo Degang's self-introduction titled "My Name Is Guo Degang" and some of his xiangsheng (comic dialogues), along with a CD containing selected excerpts of his performances to delight the readers. It is believed that readers will certainly enjoy this book.
Beijing has a long history and is known as an ancient capital for five dynasties. There are countless stories to tell: the red leaves of Fragrant Hills, the lotuses of Beihai Lake, the winding and deep hutongs, the warm and cozy siheyuan (traditional residences), the twilight in the Forbidden City, the morning glow over Kunming Lake, the pickled vegetables from Liubiji, and the fried dough sticks from Mujiachai. The number of things to mention is endless. Here, we have both historical records and the gossip of neighborhood aunts and grandmas. Just pour yourself a pot of jasmine tea, slice two pieces of purple radish, relax, and enjoy as I tell you!
In the Qin Dynasty, China was divided into thirty-six prefectures, and this area was part of Shanggu Prefecture. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was called Zhuozhou. In the Tang Dynasty, it was known as Fanyang. The Foyuan Temple on the west side of Baishikou in Beijing was built during the Tang Dynasty and was originally called Mincong Temple. In the Song Dynasty, it belonged to Youzhou. You know the story of the "Seven Wolves and Eight Tigers Invading Youzhou" from the Yang Family Chronicles? That happened right here. During the Yuan Dynasty, this was called Dadu (Dadu), which was established by Kublai Khan. Look at the earthen walls outside Deshengmen—those are remnants of the city walls of the Yuan Dynasty. It was only in the Ming and Qing dynasties that it became Beijing.
The center of Beijing is Tiananmen. That's the name given during the Qing Dynasty; in the Ming Dynasty, it was called Chengtianmen. What was the purpose of this gate? It served a purpose. When an emperor ascended the throne, he would proclaim an edict from here. They carved a phoenix out of wood, covered it with gold leaf, and called it the "Golden Phoenix." The Golden Phoenix would hold an edict in its beak and dangle it down from above. This was known as the "Golden Phoenix Proclaiming the Edict," a beautiful name. Later, after the imperial system was abolished and the Last Emperor abdicated, the proclamation was no longer called the "Golden Phoenix Proclaiming the Edict." It should have been called "Moving Today."
Behind Tiananmen is the Forbidden City, now known as the Palace Museum, which was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has a unique architectural style, with a symmetrical layout and balanced proportions. The front halls face south, while the back palaces face north. Everything is evenly arranged on both sides. Look—the main halls of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony are in the center, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory on the east and the Hall of Martial Valor on the west. To the east are the Hall of Benevolence and the Hall of Righteousness, while to the west are the Hall of Brilliance and the Hall of Magnificence. There are also the Eastern and Western Meridian Gates, the Eastern and Western Imperial Kitchen, and the Eastern and Western Imperial Latrines.
In the feudal society, hierarchy was strict, even in the colors. Yellow was considered the noblest color. You can see that in the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace—anywhere the emperor lived—was covered in yellow glazed tiles. And all the buildings faced south. But there's an exception: the Zhagong Temple in the Temple of Heaven. Why? The Temple of Heaven was where the emperor worshipped the sky. The emperor called himself the "Son of Heaven," so how could he dare to be arrogant in the presence of Heaven? So, the Zhagong Temple faces east and uses green glazed tiles. After thinking about it, I realize that when the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven, he wasn't worshipping Heaven—he was visiting his dad.
The architecture of the Temple of Heaven is full of cleverness, emphasizing the concept of "Heaven." It represents the round sky and square earth, with the northern walls higher than the southern ones, symbolizing "Heaven is high and earth is low." Just imagine the ingenuity behind it. Every winter solstice, the emperor would go to the Temple of Heaven to perform the grand ceremony of worshipping Heaven, essentially offering sacrifices to his "father." Not only did the imperial family worship Heaven, but ordinary people also did so to fulfill their wishes. However, the scale of these offerings varied depending on family wealth. Wealthy families would have grand ceremonies. First, they would choose a auspicious day and time, usually after midnight during the hours of Zi, Chou, and Yin. For the wish-fulfilling ceremony, they would set up colorful pavilions, decorate them with lanterns, invite monks and Taoist priests to chant prayers, and prepare offerings...