Look at the flower lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first month! So more than 600 years ago, where was the largest flower lantern in the country?
It is generally believed that the Festival of Lights began in the Western Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, lantern viewing activities gradually flourished. The Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin's "Fifteen Nights to Watch the Lanterns" said, "Receiving the Han Doubtful Stars, according to the building like a moon hanging", from which we can see the grandeur of the Lantern Festival that year. The Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty was even more lively, and there was also a lantern riddle guessing activity, which lasted for 5 days. Nanjing had a Lantern Festival as early as the Southern Dynasty, and the grandeur at that time was the highest in the country.
After Zhu Yuanzhang fixed the capital in Nanjing, he attached the most importance to the Lantern Festival and loved the lantern festival. In the history of The Chronicle, Zhu Yuanzhang celebrated the first Lantern Festival after the capital was established, and specially recruited the world's rich merchants and put on the lanterns for 10 days. At that time, the city of Nanjing was full of color buildings, and ten thousand water lamps were fired on the Qinhuai River, which was a grand view for a while, enjoying the reputation of "lanterns in the world", and the famous Qinhuai River "lamp boat" was also famous in the world.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the lamp market was mainly in the area of Sanshan Street, and then because of the expansion of the Confucius Temple, the song house, the tavern, the inn, etc. were built with it, and the sail boat tour continued, and the Confucius Temple became a unique downtown in the ancient city, and the lamp market gradually moved to the Confucius Temple, which flourished for more than 600 years.
After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, flower viewing lanterns became fashionable, and the official eunuchs of the lamp city did not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to buy Kit Kat flower lanterns, waiting for the use of the lamp market, competing for the rich. It is reported that there is a kind of stacking of colored lanterns to resemble the shape of the legendary giant ao, called the lantern, which has cost more than a thousand gold and is not comparable to the average wealthy family. The poverty and luxury of the lamp market were not uncommon in the Ming Dynasty, not only the Beijing division, such as Jinling (Nanjing), Shaoxing and other places. Folk lanterns are obscene and extravagant, sometimes a lamp to be made for two years.
The Lantern Festival in the Ming Dynasty was extended to 10 days, which was the most prosperous period. By the Qing Dynasty, the Festival of Lights was reduced to 3 days, and the grandeur was slightly declined, but the program content of the Lantern Festival became more and more abundant. Lantern lantern, the material is a squid, yarn, fish squid, scalp, material silk and other products, the shape of three stars, eight immortals, cornucopia, leather balls, watermelon, grass worms, goldfish, etc., as well as the building boat lamp with glass strips, other silk lamps, as flowers, birds, insects and fish, exquisite portrait, in addition to the dexterous marquee lamp.
During the Festival of Lights, from morning to night is the "city", from sunset to dawn is the "lamp". In the lamp market, there are merchants from all over the world, there are ancient and modern Chinese and foreign treasures, there are antiques from three generations and eight dynasties, and there are utensils used by people from all walks of life. Qu three rows, four columns of the city, the so-called opening of the nine cities. The city was so crowded that they couldn't even spin.
According to Ah Ying's article "One of the Examinations of the Customs and Customs of the Golden Plum Words and Phrases in the Lamp City", "Most of the city buildings are facing north and south, and at night, every house is crowded with people watching the lights." In the meantime, especially those who hung curtains in front of the door, the people inside must be the dependents of the Xun family, the Qi family, the eunuch family, and the Hao family. At night, they will play music with lights", "Lanes and strange bridges, all weaving bamboo lanterns, and decorating the building." ”
It can be seen how spectacular the lamp market in Nanjing was more than 600 years ago! After several ups and downs, the Confucius Temple Lantern Festival continues to this day. (This article is selected from Chen Ningjun and Xinchen's "Interpretation of the Confucius Temple", pay attention to the WeChat public account: NJHFHHH, feel the history during the trip)