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Unlike the daily bathing in today's society, bathing was a luxury in ancient times, especially during the cold winter months, and it was a risky activity.
In modern times, the popularity of tap water makes it difficult to imagine how ancient people toiled to fetch water from distant wells or rivers.
Imagine a time when there were no water pipes to reach the door, and people had to travel long distances to get water, a process that was itself a test of physical strength and time.
So, how often did ancient people take a bath?
01
In ancient times, water heaters were not as convenient as in modern times, and fuel was required to boil water, and firewood and cow dung were common choices at that time, but these resources were not easy to obtain and required a lot of physical strength and time.
Therefore, even if you want to take a simple bath, you have to pay a lot of labor costs.
Especially in winter, the heating of the room becomes another major problem in the bathing process.
Once the heating is insufficient, there is a high risk that the person who bathes will catch a cold, and in ancient times, when medical conditions were extremely backward, this not only meant pain, but could even be life-threatening.
Therefore, with the increasingly cold climate, people's demand for bathing is gradually suppressed, and the risks and costs have to be weighed.
On a hot summer day, bathing has become a way to relieve the heat and cleanse the body.
In ancient times, people would choose to bathe in the river, which not only effectively removed dirt, but also enjoyed the coolness of nature, just like the story of the spider essence bathing in the legend, highlighting the ancient people's lifestyle of harmonious coexistence with nature.
For the royal nobility, bathing was a very ceremonial activity.
There is a detailed record of this in ancient books, which shows that bathing in the upper class is not only an act of cleansing the body, but also a symbol of social status.
They have special personnel to prepare hot water, and they have special bathrooms, and bathing has become a kind of identity display, far from the hard struggle of ordinary people.
For example, Huaqing Pond in the Tang Dynasty.
In the Tang Dynasty, Huaqing Pond was not only a bathhouse, but also a royal soup garden, symbolizing supreme luxury and elegance.
Huaqing Pond is located at the foot of Li Mountain at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains, and has been known for its hot springs since ancient times.
The water here is different from ordinary rivers and lakes, it comes from the ground, carrying the warmth and nourishment of the earth.
It is this water that has created one of the most famous baths in ancient China - Begonia Soup.
More than just a simple bath, it's shaped like the petals of a blooming begonia flower, a masterpiece of the craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen.
According to legend, in order to please his beloved Yang Guifei, Tang Xuanzong specially designed and built this bath for her, the bath's sprinkler head is cleverly set on the base, and the pottery water pipe is hidden below, attracting warm hot spring water.
Here, the water is not just flowing, it splashes in all directions at the exit, as if it were an ancient shower, bringing not only cleanliness, but also a special enjoyment.
And Yang Guifei's bathing ritual is even more of an art, whenever she bathes, the pool will be sprinkled with flower petals, and the indoor air will be filled with the fragrance of flowers.
The wonder of Huaqing Pool does not stop there, for an ancient woman with long flowing hair, the care after washing is equally important.
Therefore, in addition to the begonia soup, there is also a structure called "Feixia Pavilion", which is specially designed for Yang Guifei to dry her long cloud-like hair.
This meticulous and thoughtful facility is a testament to the sophistication and sophistication of ancient royal life.
In contrast, the purpose of modern people bathing is more simple and straightforward - to cleanse and relax.
In today's technologically advanced world, almost every family can enjoy daily bathing, and in ancient times, bathing was a rare enjoyment, not only because it was not easy to obtain, but also because of the cultural and social significance behind it.
02
From "Shuowen Jie Zi", we know that the contemporary so-called "bath" includes four levels: "bath", "bath", "bath", and "bath", which correspond to washing hair, body, feet and hands.
However, there are also references to the use of the word "bathing" to refer specifically to the act of washing the hair and body.
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, bathing had already been endowed with extremely important religious and ceremonial significance.
Fasting and bathing became an important part of the ritual, and was seen as respect and reverence for the gods, not only in religious ceremonies, but also in daily life.
Confucius's "bathing and pilgrimage" is a vivid embodiment of this concept – even when attending a major event such as a court, it is necessary to bathe and change clothes first to show cleanliness and respect.
During the Warring States period, the importance of bathing in the court reached its peak, and there was a special position "Shangyu", which was responsible for leading and managing all bathing matters.
The position was so important that there was a power struggle within the court for it.
An intriguing story is about Han Xihou: during a bath, he found a pebble in a pool, a scene that seems ordinary but has hidden mysteries.
After questioning, it turned out that this was a conspiracy of a successor to the "Shang Yu" who was eager to ascend to the throne in advance, intending to obtain this position by framing the incumbent.
In the Qin and Han dynasties, the Xi of bathing became more systematic and even became part of the law.
Not only was there a clear frequency of shampooing and bathing – once every three days and once every five days – the Han Dynasty also established a statutory holiday for bathing.
And Xiao Gang, Emperor Jianwen of Liang in the Southern Dynasty, condensed his feelings and thoughts after taking a bath into words, and wrote the "Bathing Sutra".
Regrettably, this precious document, which chronicles the culture and philosophy of bathing in ancient times, has not survived to this day.
03
Within these ornate palace walls, bathing is not just a ritual of cleansing, it has evolved into an art, a way of expressing one's charm.
According to the "Records of the Palace Maids", for example, the Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty, she bathed about every 2 to 3 days not only because of her personal hobby of cleanliness, but also because of her high status.
The ritual involves the service of dozens of maids, hundreds of towels, and a special chair to wash the upper and lower parts of the body separately.
This extravagant bathing ritual is undoubtedly a symbol of status, and it is also the embodiment of technology and culture at that time.
However, such bathing conditions are not available to most women.
In ancient times, especially before the Song Dynasty, public baths were not yet popular, and most ordinary women had extremely limited bathing conditions. Even having a private bath was a luxury for most families at the time who were barely able to make ends meet.
The bathtub may seem insignificant in the eyes of modern people, but in ancient times, it was a light luxury, and not all families could afford it.
In addition, even with a tub, access to hot water is a huge challenge, and a comfortable hot bath may require dozens of times from the river and a trip to the mountains to cut wood for a fire due to the lack of running water and gas.
In the water-scarce north, even drinking water is a challenge, and bathing is a luxury.
For those ordinary folk women, bathing is an unattainable luxury.
They may only have the opportunity to bathe once every 2 to 3 months, not only because of material constraints, but also because of the strict definition of women's roles and status in ancient societies.
04
If we shift back to medieval Europe, the scenario of bathing is even more complicated, and in this time period, not bathing even became a symbol of honor.
Medical concepts and social Xi have combined to form a common belief that excessive bathing weakens a person's immune system, so people are advised to wipe their faces with a dry towel, and washing hair is seen as something that requires extreme care.
Queen Elizabeth was unique in this context, as a "diligent person" of European bathing, she bathed once a month, which was a rare hygiene Xi at the time.
Her Xi reflects the fact that even in an era of general backwardness in hygiene, some individuals try to maintain higher standards of cleanliness.
Body odor has become a common phenomenon due to the relatively consistent frequency of bathing for most people, and in this case, the acceptance of body odor is much higher because it has been integrated into the normalcy of everyday life.
Marriage negotiations in ancient times tended to focus more on matching economic and social status than on personal hygiene.
Therefore, if two people are financially similar, they may also bathe about the same frequency, and body odor is no longer a significant consideration.
05
As we enjoy the convenience and speed of bathing in modern society, we might as well recall the difficulties faced by ancient people in obtaining water, preparing hot water, and even ensuring the safety of their lives.
These difficulties not only show the living conditions of ancient society, but also reflect the limitations and yearning of people in that era for the pursuit of quality of life.
In the long river of history, the change of bathing is not only a change in life Xi, but also a microcosm of the progress of human civilization.