In the last years of the Qing Dynasty, the social atmosphere began to become more and more luxurious, and the number of high-end restaurants in Beijing gradually increased, and the major shareholders of these restaurants were mostly the children of the Eight Banners, and the Qing Dynasty's "Great Qing Law" stipulated that flag people were not allowed to do business. In order to hide their eyes and ears, the Eight Flags disciples secretly invested and asked Shandong people who were diligent and hard-working to be treasurers to run the restaurant.
This kind of Manchu-Han cooperative restaurant is opened in the downtown area. Influenced by the Operation of Shandong People, seven of the most influential "Eight Buildings" restaurants in old Beijing specialize in Lu cuisine.
Tai Feng Lou Restaurant, one of the original "Eight Buildings", was once called "Penglai Sanying" together with Fengze Garden and Xinfeng Lou
"Grab medicine Tongrentang, eat vegetables Fengze Garden"
Speaking of Beijing's Lu cuisine, we have to mention Fengzeyuan Restaurant, which was opened in 1930 and has a history of 89 years, and is a famous Restaurant of Lu cuisine in Beijing.
Before the opening of the restaurant, yao Zesheng, the major shareholder, invited the shareholders to the Fortress Garden in Zhongnanhai at that time to discuss the opening. Regarding the name of the restaurant, the shareholders considered that in the catering industry, the hall, residence, building, zhai, Xuan, etc. are called vulgar, and the restaurant name should have a new meaning, and finally everyone agreed to take the meeting address "Fortress Garden" as the restaurant name to commemorate.
The deed document at the time of the formation of Fortress Garden
Fortress Garden is a garden building in Zhongnanhai, Beijing, built in 1662 (the first year of the Qing Kangxi Dynasty), when there were several acres of rice fields in front of the gate. Emperors such as Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Guangxu held farming ceremonies here to spread their blessings throughout the world and to wish for a bumper harvest in agricultural production.
Afterwards, the literati of the time, Li Qi, wrote the "Fengzeyuan" plaque in imitation of the Kangxi Emperor's font, which has been used to this day. The picture above shows the plaque of the original restaurant on the second floor of the Fortress Garden Main Store.
From the four-entry courtyard at the beginning of its establishment, to today's five-diamond grand restaurant. Based on long-term practical experience, Fortress Garden Restaurant has enriched and developed, and has formed its own unique style. In recent years, Fengzeyuan's Lu cuisine making skills have entered the list of district-level intangible cultural heritage and the list of municipal intangible cultural heritage in Beijing.
In this issue, we interviewed many residents of old Beijing,
Listen to them talk about the Fortress Garden in their memories:
Uncle Wang
He currently lives in The Lieutenant Camp Hutong
The impression is that Fortress Garden is a relatively high-end hotel, generally used by large units or reception of foreign guests. There were originally two theaters along Zhushikou West Avenue, where the hotel is located, and it is also close to the Liyuan Guild, and Peking Opera masters like Mei Lanfang have also come here. We ordinary people used to have no money to go to the restaurant when the food was cheap (here when the price is low), and now the food is expensive, and it is even more unaffordable.
Picture from the network: In 1952, Zhao Qing took a group photo with Xin Fengxia as a teacher, at Fengze Garden
Aunt Feng
The original resident yongding gate outside the moat Henan
In the past, Fengzeyuan was an old name in Nancheng, and the word "Feng" in the past was written like this. The restaurant has three small facades, and the back kitchen is in the innermost part. At present, Fortress Garden (main store) has 4 or 5 floors, and the flip is very proud. Our family used to be unable to go to this place, no money ~ I only know the change of appearance, the restaurant used to be the inside situation did not understand.
The other day was my third sister's eightieth birthday, her grandson got a table here, it was originally September 15th birthday, the single room was fully booked that day, and it was booked two days later. In the past, we only bought grilled steamed buns here, which was a dime at that time, and now there are grilled steamed buns at the takeaway window in front of the restaurant, but this is not the price.
Fortress Garden grilled steamed buns
Uncle Lee
He currently lives in Peiying Hutong
I remember when I was a child, Fortress Garden Restaurant was still open on Coal Market Street, and it was a courtyard with high steps. At that time, the nine-turn fat intestines and crystal elbows of Fengzeyuan were fragrant and soft, even if the eighty-year-old man gently "sucked" with his mouth, the entrance melted. Gold and silver wire rolls are large, and the noodles exposed at both ends are clearly rooted and chewed in the mouth.
Screenshot from the 1980s Japanese documentary "Chinese Food Culture" - Beijing chapter
Aunt Liu
He currently lives in the Stone Community
Our community is just behind Fortress Garden, where many old neighbors grew up with Fortress Garden, and now their chefs still live in Peizhi Hutong, but not many people have actually eaten Fortress Garden. At that time, Fengzeyuan had to be called a restaurant, and the restaurant of the same period on this street also had the Jinyang Restaurant next to Ji Xiaolan's former residence.
The picture was taken on the display wall of Fortress Garden Restaurant: Restaurant Old Gate Union
In the early years, the restaurants were not as grand as they are now, and they were all small courtyards. I remember when I was a child, the gate of Fortress Garden was open to the east, and most of the people who came and went were some large families. We are all ordinary people, when we were young, we dared to make dumplings every New Year's Festival. It is said that ten years ago, a good table here was about three thousand
But now Fortress Garden has also become grounded, like a special day family gathering here to set up a table, the people can also accept.
Thank you uncles and aunts for your patient answers, thank you for clicking on the screen to read!
Reference materials:
"Jingwei'er Food Foot" - Cui Daiyuan, Life, Reading, And Xinzhi Triptych Bookstore
《Recipe of Fortress Garden Restaurant》
"Telling the Story of the Common People - Story Collection" - Stone Community
"Fortress Garden in History"