In ancient times in our country,
After the winter solstice,
There is the custom of "hiding ice" at the age.
Hidden Ice,
It means that when the rivers and lakes freeze three feet,
Dig out the ice cubes and store them in the ice chamber,
It is used to cool off in the summer.
As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty,
There are already "Lingren" who are specifically responsible for hiding ice.
"Zhou Li Tianguan Lingren" contains:
"Lingren, palm ice."
In February of the tenth year of the year, Ling Chopping Ice, Three Ling Ling. ”
Natural ice hiding method,
Ice cubes can easily melt as the weather warms,
So estimate three times the amount of ice used to store in the ice chamber.
In the middle of winter,
The sound of ice cutting on the ice is incessant,
In the Book of Poetry, it is written:
"The second day is the ice rush, and the third day is the day of the Ling Yin."
Ling Yin, that is, the ice chamber.
Since the Zhou Dynasty, all generations in our country have followed this custom,
and is under the responsibility of specialized agencies,
To ensure that the royal family uses ice in summer.
Qing "Huidian" "Ministry of Works Dushui Qing Officials Si Zang Bing" strip cloud:
"Whoever cuts ice to take the royal rivers...
Years after the winter solstice,
One minister of the ministry, recruiting a husband to cut ice,
Take the one who is clear and pure and strong,
Take the square foot as a block with five inches. Vanna Ice,
Five cellars in the Forbidden City, 25,000 pieces of ice;
Jingshan West Gate Cellar 6, hiding 54,000 pieces of ice;
Desheng outer cellar three, hidden ice thirty-six thousand seven hundred pieces,
For the altar and temple sacrifice and the inner court...."
The scale and quantity of ice hidden is staggering,
You can imagine the grand situation of cutting ice and hiding ice at that time.
▲Ice room
In ancient times, it was extremely difficult to hide ice,
It can be described as the top luxury in summer,
So it's also a symbol of status and status.
The royal family hid ice in addition to their own use,
Every summer it is also given to ministers and government officials,
To show grace and power, it is called "ice awarding".
"Xia Xiaozheng" has:
"The one who awards the ice also, the one who divides the ice to the doctor also."
Bai Juyi also said in "Xie Zhi Ice":
"Today, the prophets and other icers are proclaimed,
The ceremony of the ice, the imperial court ceremony,
With its extraordinary things, with the grace of the table. ”
During the Qing Dynasty, ice tickets would be issued to the official office.
It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and receives it according to the number.
Warring States, Marquis Zeng Yi Tomb Bronze Ice Book. Ice wine vessel. It is in the collection of the National Museum of China.
Before the Tang Dynasty, private ice was very rare,
Therefore, the "Cloud Immortal Miscellaneous" cloud:
"Chang'an ice and snow, to the summer price and other golden walls."
During the Southern Song Dynasty,
Privately operated hidden ice began to appear.
"Dream Liang Record" contains "Summer Tian sells snow bubble plum blossom wine",
Cold drinks were sold in the market.
By the time of the Qing Dynasty,
Commercial ice storage has developed greatly,
There have been "ice owners" who specialize in hiding ice.
The government also sent ice to the "ice owners",
It is called "ice difference".
Hiding ice can be described as reaching its peak.
Until the Republic of China period,
With the cancellation of the ice difference,
The private Tibetan ice industry has been given the opportunity for free development,
It is no longer the exclusive property of the emperor.
Later, with the popularity of electronic refrigeration equipment,
The custom of hiding ice gradually faded.
The pomp and hardship of the past,
It can only exist in the imagination of the world...