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Text丨 Iron bones Zheng Li Fuguier
Editor丨Utopia is busy
In film and television dramas, we often see some scenes: whenever night comes, all the people return to their homes, and a person will come out of the street to "wander" back and forth in the city.
He would hold a lamp in his hand, as well as gongs and drums and bangzi, and every time he took a few steps, he would beat gongs and drums and bangzi, and he would still have words in his mouth! This kind of person is called a watchman.
In the middle of the night, if someone keeps making such a noise in the middle of the night, it will definitely cause everyone's dissatisfaction and disturb people's dreams. But in ancient times, not only would the person who beat the watch not be insulted, but if he did not come for a day, it would arouse the suspicion of the people: what happened to him?
So why play the shift in the middle of the night?
Nighttime Signaling - Ancient China's unique watch system
In modern times, we have a variety of accurate clocks and instruments to keep time and tell the time, but in ancient times, due to the limitations of technology, it was not easy to achieve accurate time.
Based on the limitations of the time system and timekeeping tools at that time, ancient China created the night time system of beating the watch, which played an important role in determining the time of the ancients.
In ancient China, the 12-hour system was adopted, and the day was divided into 12 hours, each of which lasted 2 hours. This method of timekeeping is relatively simple and crude, and it is difficult to be accurate to the minute and second.
The timekeeping tools commonly used by the ancients include sundials, missing engravings, burning incense, etc., but there are certain limitations, sundials are invalid in cloudy days, omission engraving is expensive and difficult to popularize, and the error of burning incense is large.
Telling the time without an accurate clock requires human involvement. As a result, ancient China created the system of beating watches.
According to historical records, the system began in the Qin and Han dynasties, and tended to mature and popularize after the Han Dynasty. Officials would recruit watchmen from among the able-bodied young men and tell them the time at night. Generally, the watchmen patrol in groups of two, one holding a gong and one holding a lantern, according to the prescribed route.
Starting at 7 p.m., the night time signal is over every 2 hours, and the fifth watch is reported at 5 o'clock the next morning.
At different times, the rhythm of the gong is also different, and at the same time, the specific time is shouted loudly to let the people know the time. In case of emergencies, the watchman will also report it.
The system makes full use of human labor, makes up for the lack of timekeeping tools, and allows the general public to judge the general situation of time in ancient times when there were no clocks.
It has also become a unique sight in the ancient city at night, with gongs and shouts running through the silent streets and alleys, breathing life into the sleepy city.
According to research, there are also some differences in the system of beating shifts in different regions. For example, in northern cities, the night may be divided into six periods, with longer intervals, and in southern cities, high-frequency time reporting is maintained once every two hours. This is mainly formulated according to the climatic characteristics and living habits of different regions.
The job of a watchman is not easy, and he needs to go out on patrol late at night to report the time, and sometimes have to endure cold and wet weather. In order to motivate the enthusiasm of the watchmen, the government sometimes gives a certain amount of remuneration. During the festival, the people will also give some small rewards to the watchmen to express their gratitude for their hard work.
Of course, the system of beating the watch is not without its shortcomings. There may be a certain error between the specific time and the actual time, and it is not as accurate as a mechanical clock.
With the progress of science and technology, in modern times, clocks and watches have gradually become popular, replacing the ancient watch system and becoming a new way to tell the time.
However, we should still realize that the system of beating watches, as a unique method of telling the time in ancient times, played an important role at that time. It not only makes up for the shortcomings of timekeeping tools, but also becomes a part of traditional Chinese culture, which is worth exploring and understanding.
So is there any other role in playing more?
Watchman: The guardian of the ancient streets
The darkness of the night is always full of unknowns and dangers. In ancient times, without strong surveillance equipment and sufficient patrol forces, it was necessary to rely on special social forces to ensure night security. The watchman is the group of people who take on this responsibility.
The beating is a kind of time signaling system, which sends out a timing signal by striking traditional musical instruments to let residents know the time. But the wise ancients also incorporated this element into the management of society.
The government authorized watchmen to patrol at night and monitor suspicious figures. Once a criminal act is discovered, the watchman can stop it or report it directly to the government.
They are familiar with the streets and have a good sense of everything, and it is very difficult for criminals to escape the eyes of the violators. At any crime scene, the watchman may provide key clues, such as who was suspicious at the time.
The watchman is deeply trusted by the people. The government selects reputable civilians to serve for this position, and their testimonies are more convincing. The people will also protect the safety of the watchmen.
Once the watchman is killed, it will be a shame for the people in the entire street. After all, on weekdays, watchmen will be enthusiastic about helping the old, weak, sick and disabled, and building friendships with their families. Naturally, the people will not sit idly by and watch others suffer.
In addition, there are rewards from the government for stopping crime and providing clues, which also encourages watchmen to be diligent and conscientious.
It can be said that the watchman was an important force in the management of public security in ancient times. Without them, crime would have been rampant and people would have had trouble sleeping.
The work of the watchman seems small, but it makes the night no longer hopeless. In the era when modern monitoring equipment has not yet developed, the watchman can be described as the guardian of the street, so that the people can live in a relatively safe environment.
Further, the work of beating people can be described as arduous. They had to patrol the streets day and night, no matter how hot or cold. Sometimes they even have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of calming down people's disputes and resolving neighborhood conflicts.
As the person who has the most extensive contact with the people, the watchman must also listen carefully to the voices and opinions of the people, and convey the people's voices and demands to the government. It can be said that the watchman was the stabilizer and lubricant of ancient society. Without their tireless efforts, it would have been difficult for the ancient streets to remain in order.
Of course, there are also deficiencies in the work of watchmen. After all, they are not regular military police, and it is difficult for them to deal with large-scale crimes. But in general, in the ancient environment, the watchman played an irreplaceable role.
They were the watchmen of the night, keeping the people to sleep free from fear. Perhaps they are not in a prominent position, but they guard the tranquility of the ancient streets in their own way.
Mobile fire alarms
As night falls, the lights of the city become a light in the darkness. However, these open flames can also be a source of calamity.
In ancient times, nighttime lighting relied on open flames such as candles and oil lamps. The wooden dwellings are very close to each other, and once a fire breaks out, it is very easy to cause a sea of fire all over the city.
In order to prevent fires, the vigil watchman became a mobile fire alarm. At 9 o'clock in the evening, the watchman reminds the residents to "be careful of the fire and candles" and urges everyone to extinguish the open flames. He also keeps an eye out for families who don't turn off their lights on time to further remind them to be aware of the use of fire.
Once a fire is discovered, the watchman quickly rings the gong and shouts the fire alarm. The sound of a loud gong breaks the silence of the night and awakens the sleeping inhabitants.
Residents got up in a hurry and called each other out of the burning houses. Experienced residents immediately organized themselves and brought in water from the vat to extinguish the fire as best they could.
Although there was only one means of fighting fires in ancient times, the fire alarm cry of the watchman won valuable escape time for the residents. He was like a walking fire alarm, sounding the alarm when disaster strikes, saving countless lives.
Many of the inhabitants of the ancient city are well aware of the horrors of fire. Because the houses are made of wood, once a fire breaks out, the fire can easily spread.
There was once a drunken resident who knocked over the candlestick to the ground, and the candle ignited the house, and soon the whole street was engulfed in flames.
Fortunately, the watchman on duty that night discovered the fire in time and struck the gong and shouted, so that many residents escaped. As a result of the fire, three streets were completely destroyed and dozens of homes were destroyed. Since then, residents have been more cautious about the fire and always pay attention to the reminders of the watchmen.
During the festival, residents also organize themselves to raise awareness of fire prevention. They put up fire prevention tips to persuade everyone to turn off the lights and go to bed early at night.
Residents supervise each other, and if they find that someone is not paying attention to the fire alarm, they will immediately come forward and kindly remind each other. Over time, the residents have become more aware of fire prevention, and the nights when people live in peace have gradually increased.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the people and residents, the fire prevention work in the ancient city has made great progress. Despite the difficult conditions, residents are trying to reduce the likelihood of fires.
Through the residents' conscious precautions and patrols and warnings, the fire incidence rate in the ancient city has dropped significantly, and the lives and property of the people have been well protected. This fully demonstrates the wisdom and will of the ancients to prevent fire.
The wisdom of the ancients really amazes us. However, while blindly revering the ancients, we should also maintain rational judgment. The system of husband change was indeed necessary in the past, but it also exposes many shortcomings today. We should learn to absorb the essence of the wisdom of the ancients, rather than just stick to the rules. Each stage in the course of history has its own unique value, and we should not stick to the old ways, but keep pace with the times to create a better future.
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