The prosperous Song night market, the all-night life, why is the night of the Song Dynasty so enchanting?
In the glory days of the Tang Dynasty, the city was well and orderly, and the neighborhoods were divided into fang districts and urban areas, with the common people living in the fang and the city being a bustling commercial center.
This strict separation was not only to maintain social order, but also to the basis for the implementation of the curfew regime.
When night falls, the city enters a unique tranquility, and the palace guard decrees that at night, the drums resound through the night sky, and the doors of both homes and shops are closed.
Only the patrolling sergeants walked through the empty streets, forming a dead silence, and although this curfew system made the city more solemn at night under the shroud of imperial power, people found a ray of sunshine in the distant south of the Yangtze River.
At night in Jiangnan, the curfew seems to open a window of micro-cracks, allowing the people to taste the sweetness of the night, so the night has become a time for them to laugh, talk, and bustle.
Wang Jian's poem describes this grand scene: "The night market is illuminated by a thousand lights, and the high-rise buildings are full of red-sleeved customers. The night market here is as bright as blue clouds, red sleeves flutter on the tall buildings, and people come like customers in the clouds.
However, over time, the Song Dynasty still retained the Tang Dynasty's division of the fang market and the closed Xi of the night at the beginning of the founding of the country.
The clear division between the commercial and residential areas, the high walls within the community, and the silence of the city after nightfall, is a maintenance of social order and a peaceful expectation of night.
The rapid growth of the city's population has overwhelmed the existing residential areas and made them unable to accommodate more citizens.
As a result, people began to break down the walls and open new shops, and the phenomenon of illegal construction intensified, although the citizens did not have much money in hand, but the yearning for the city made them break free, and the night became a time for them to vent their passion and find fun.
It is said that Taejong and Zhenzong tried to restore the curfew, but as the times changed, by the time of Renzong, Bianjing at night had evolved into a city that never sleeped.
At night in this city, groups of citizens wander through the streets in twos and threes, as if walking in a sea of bright lights.
The bustling at night, whether in restaurants, tea shops, or the shops of roadside vendors, exudes an alluring light, this is a city that is lively from dusk to the third watch, like a beating heart, full of vitality.
However, the night of the city is no longer a quiet silence, but a noisy and free carnival, with various night markets, neon lights, and signboards in the city dotting the night as bright as day.
It is a non-stop feast from late evening to late at night, where citizens enjoy the freedom and joy of the night.
At night, Bianjing becomes a unique city, no longer subject to curfews, but more vibrant, and the night market is not only a place for commodity trading, but also a paradise for people to release their hearts and passions.
The city of this era, which was relaxed and tolerant by the opening of the night, became a beautiful scenery in the feudal dynasty.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the cancellation of the curfew and the opening of the night market brought a unique night feast to Bianjing, and when night fell, Bianjing gradually changed from the tranquility of the day to the prosperity of the night, like a feast unfolded with the lights.
In places such as the State Bridge, Mahang Street, in front of the Fan Lou Gate, and outside the Suzaku Gate, lanterns and candles begin to light up, gradually outlining the outline of the night market.
These lanterns decorate the night sky like stars, and the candles flicker like stars in every corner of the city, and although you can't see the lights of the night market in the pictures, you can imagine the bustling scene at night through the lanterns in front of the shops and the "light box advertisements".
One of the most prosperous is the Horse Street, which seems to be a dream city, and the smell of fireworks fills the air.
Cars and horses are crowded in the narrow streets, restaurants are brilliantly lit up in the night sky, and all kinds of cries are intertwined into a symphony of night markets, stirring in every corner of the city.
The prosperity of the night market allows people to operate and spend at any time and place, and when night falls, the night market begins to come alive with a steady stream of people and a booming business.
It's a truly vibrant city, where the night is no longer a silent curfew time, but a bustling night full of life and enthusiasm.
The night market is filled with a wide variety of goods, and the abundance of choices such as roadside food stalls, exquisite handicrafts, and gorgeous costumes attracts people.
It's a paradise for vendors and citizens, where people can find everything they need and enjoy shopping day and night.
The atmosphere of fireworks in the night market has also become a unique culture, and the blue and white glazed aromatherapy of the Song Dynasty has become a unique scenery in the night market.
The delicate scent of this aromatherapy fills the air of the night market, filling the entire city with a classic yet fresh atmosphere.
The night market of this era is not only a place for commodity trading, but also a paradise for people to release their hearts and passions.
It is an open and vibrant city night, a great treasure of urban culture during the Northern Song Dynasty.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the prosperity of night markets not only made the city prosperous and lively, but also provided people with a variety of food options, ending the era when they could only eat two meals a day.
The rise of this night market culture makes the city even more colorful when night falls.
The flourishing of the night market brings a unique gastronomic feast that adds to the city's rich nightlife.
Looking back at the Northern Song Dynasty, people can finally stop wandering in hunger dreams, but can find delicious food in the night market at any time, and this change makes people full of anticipation for the night.
