Golden Dust of the Human World: Ming-Style Suzhou

Author: Jiang Hui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Living in a place like Suzhou, there are certain standards—poor people have their own standards, and the wealthy have even more. They believe in ghosts and gods, and engage in lavish rituals. They indulge in extravagance, fine dining, and luxurious clothing, building magnificent houses. Weddings, funerals, and other life events are all done in grand style, with a strong emphasis on festivals. They eat throughout the year: spring pancakes for the Spring Festival, (Tusu wine) and vegetable spring cakes for the Lantern Festival, fried rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival, camel hooves and chongyang cakes for the Double Ninth Festival, and sugar cakes for the Kitchen God Festival on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, followed by red bean and glutinous rice porridge the next day. During the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou citizens loved to spend money, and businesses flourished, especially in areas like Tiger Hill, where many practiced the art of bonsai. During festivals, the business was booming. Strangely enough, six hundred years ago, Suzhou truly had the aura of a major city—there were night markets, bustling with activity, often staying open until midnight, with vendors selling lotus roots and water chestnuts. As the saying goes, "A family never saves money overnight," and Suzhou people really didn’t save—they spent their money freely, in a stylish manner. Local chronicles say, "Selling flowers on the Dragon Boat Festival is better than selling water in the heat of the third month," depicting the urban scene. As capitalism began to flourish during the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou gradually became a nationally influential city, with merchants gathering, abundant produce, and a thriving culture, surpassing other regions. Especially in this small area, a continuous stream of historically renowned figures emerged—political, economic, and cultural—whose names still resonate today, leaving people baffled. This book, with concise text and exquisite, high-quality images, delves deep into and showcases the former prosperity of this once-glorious place.