The Song Dynasty (The Southern Song Dynasty)
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Culture Insider: How did ancient people stay warm in winter?
Although it is chilly outside in winter, we have heating systems to keep us warm indoors in most parts of North China, and in South China, they at least have air conditioners or electric radiators. But how did ancient people in China keep warm without these modern appliances? Culture Insider: How did ancient people stay warm in winter? The ruins of Weiyang Palace in Western Han Dynasty. [Photo/IC] Temperature adjustable room daubed with pepper mash During the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-220) dynasties, temperature adjustable rooms emerged in royal families. Royal court had larger and more advanced rooms, called the "temperature adjustable hall". Imperial palaces such as Changle Palace and Weiyang Palace in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) had temperature adjustable halls. Changle Palace was originally used as the government's "office building" and "president suite" for Liu Bang (the first emperor of the Han Dynasty), and then was used as the residence of empress dowagers. Changle Palace not only had heating rooms for winter, but also rooms for cooling down in summer. These halls were also a good place to store books as a comfortable temperature could help preserve books and provide a better environment for reading. It is said that the "temperature adjustable hall" was built with pepper mash daubed on the wall, embroidery tapestries hung on the wall and a thick blanket paved on the ground. Windshield screens and wild goose feather-made curtains were also used to keep cool air outside.Ground heating system Kitchen range made with sun dried mud bricks were also found in Han Dynasty ruins which was equipped with discharge flue. In addition, a fireplace was found beside the wash bath at the ruins of Xianyang Palace dating from the Qin Dynasty. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912）dynasties, a ground heating system was used indoors, which was built by concreting circular flue underground. The charcoal fire smoke would flow through channels to the whole room and raise the temperature indoors. The ground heating system enabled the room heat up evenly and mildly. As the fiery pit and smoke jack was set outdoors, the heating method was safe, clean and practical. The ground heating system wasn't invented by Ming and Qing dynasty people. It emerged as early as Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-420). The historical record shows that the northeast part of China had used fire pits to keep warm during that time, which functioned similarly as a ground heating system.Different censers used as warmers and coal subsidies for officials China is where coal was first discovered and used to cook and keep warm. Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) imperial families were recorded to have used imported coal. Most families used manmade charcoal while wealthy families had more requirements on coal. The residence of Yang Guozhong, who was the prime minister of Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong, used special coal in winter. The carbon dust was kneaded into a double-phoenix shape using honey, and fine sandalwood was paved at the bottom of the stove while burning, which was very clean. Censer was often used for heat during ancient times, which was made of two parts: the bottom was a basin and the top was a hollow cover made with flower patterns. Putting coal inside, censers were used as warmers and made into different sizes for hands and feet. The censers were usually copper-made in the royal court and clay or iron-made among folk people. Tangpozi, a pumpkin-shaped bronze kettle full of boiling water was also quite commonly used to keep warm in ancient times. It could be put under a quilt, similar to today's hot-water bottle. All these warmers require fuel, and fuel occupied a large part of expenses in winter, so the court gave coal subsidies to officials. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the subsidy was paid by giving out coal, and the Ming Dynasty gave out cash instead. Ancient royal court had a special team, called "coal soldiers", to solve the heating supply issue, taking charge of the official use of coal. Culture Insider: How did ancient people stay warm in winter? From above left, clockwise: An ancient windcoat, an embroidery diamond-pattern glove from Northern dynasties, a fox-fur overcoat worn by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, a head wear. [File photo] Winter clothing made of special materials kept people warm Song Dynasty poet Su Shi had mentioned a kind of cloth resembling a wind coat similar to today's coats in his poem. With the weather getting colder, silk floss or cotton wool was put inside clothes to make them warmer but was still light. According to writer Shen Congwen's book on the study of Chinese ancient clothes, wool textile was used to make clothes since the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420). Animal fur was also used to make winter clothing, such as squirrel skin and raw fox skin. Among cultural relics unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb, different kinds of gloves were found. Gloves from the Northern dynasties (386-581) and Ming Dynasty were also unearthed. Folk women in the Ming Dynasty used to wear "patou" on their heads to keep warm. Han Dynasty men used to wear silk towels around their heads, which was filled with silk floss inside to keep warm. Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty people also wore similar headwear. Ancient people were smart in adapting to the environment and had solutions for the chilly winter. In addition to all their equipment, they also drank wine to keep warm, just like modern people in North China.
Land of painters, scholars and poets
For thousands of years, Wuzhen has been home to many great talents in China. Prince Zhaoming of the Liang Dynasty (502-560) studied here, compiling the first "selected Chinese writings" in history, which were studied by many others in the following centuries. The second half of the Book of the Later Han was discovered in Wuzhen. Talents in Wuzhen one generation after another chose to serve the country in the government, and when they left the government, they would start businesses. Many rich families lived in big residences, their gardens connected with each other, decorated with tall, thriving trees and painted leisure boats. Ginkgoes planted during Tang Dynasty (618-907) still flourish today. Even common people were well-educated and enjoyed access to libraries. Today, visitors can go to Wuzhen's Dongzha area to see the academy named after Zhaoming. At the entrance, there stands a memorial gateway that was set up in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but the academy was not built until the local government started developing Dongzha in 1999. Leafing through the history of Wuzhen, one will find many great talents, such as poets Xie Lingyun in the Southern and Northern Dynasty (420-581) and Fan Chengda in the Song Dynasty (960-1279); essayist Mao Kun in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); and many other modern intellectuals such as Wang Huiwu and Kong Lingjing. The more recent luminaries are Mao Dun, whose name was given to the top literature prize in today's China, and Mu Xin, one of the most popular writers among young readers nowadays. In Wuzhen's Xizha tourism area, visitors can see a memorial hall for Mao Dun, where people can learn about his life and his tomb. In Dongzha, the family's old house is open to the public. People can see the place where he was born and a well-designed library. You can also go to the former residence of Mu Xin in Dongzha's Caishen Bend, which was renovated by the local government. Visitors can see his manuscripts, paintings, writings, photos and a video of a lecture on world literature he gave in 1994. Wandering in Xizha, before arriving at the memorial hall for Mao Dun, one may see the former residence of the scholar Wang. Wang represented the "new women" at the beginning of the 20th century, independent and progressive, trying to find a path for women's liberation. Inspired by her father, Wang opened the first primary school for women in Tongxiang county at the age of 13. In July 1921, the first conference of representatives of the Communist Party of China was held in Shanghai. To keep the representatives safe, Wang helped choose the famous venue for the meeting - the painted leisure boat on Jiaxing's Nanhu Lake. Wang also launched the first women's magazine in China called Voice of Women.
800-year-old temple adds new facet to Changbai Mountain
The ruins of Baoma, where the temple is located, is on a hill in Antu county, 50 kilometers south of the summit. On a sunny day, the town can see Changbai Mountain quite clearly. Many ancient Chinese emperors performed mountain worship ceremonies (called fengchan in Chinese, meaning worship of heaven and earth) to ensure a dynasty's fortunes. For many decades, archaeologists in China and elsewhere lacked adequate knowledge about Changbai Mountain's history and culture, and for many people, the mountain was considered a scenic spot only. The discovery of the Baoma town site, to some extent, helps to fill that void. 800-year-old temple adds new facet to Changbai Mountain This file photo from Sept 26, 2014, shows an archeologist putting together two parts of an unearthed antique from the ruins of Baoma. [Photo by Liu Shuo/xinhuanet] "The ruins of Baoma plays such a crucial role in helping us understand the history of Changbai Mountain, and for our academic research," said Fan Enshi, from the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The ruins were first excavated in 2013, and archaeologists have found many delicate bricks and other building parts. "[These] bricks and building parts our team has dug out have the distinctive characteristic of being from the Jin Dynasty," said Zhao Junjie, from the research center for Chinese frontier archaeology at Jilin University and also the team leader for the Baomao archaeological discovery. 800-year-old temple adds new facet to Changbai Mountain A plinth, with a diameter of 100cm, is unearthed in the northwest corner of the Baoma town site. This file photo was taken on Sept 26, 2014. [Photo by Liu Shuo/xinhuanet] The Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Song Dynasty (960-1279) saw emperors use jade tablets inscribed with worship essays, some of which were excavated on Mount Tai, an important official ritual site in use over the same time period. Earlier this year, Zhao's team unearthed a couple of ruins with white jade tablets, on which were carved characters such as "Jin" and "Kui Chou", the year the worship ceremony was held. According to Zhao, this information matched the description of the royal temple in Jin records. "It's priceless," said Li Ji, head archaeologist of the Palace Museum, regarding the well-preserved Baoma ruins. 800-year-old temple adds new facet to Changbai Mountain Leading national archaeologists and government officials from the Jilin provincial cultural heritage department hold a meeting to conclude that the ruins of Baoma were established during the Jin Dynasty, Oct 24 to 25, in Er'daohe town at the foot of Changbai Mountain. Previously, experts had thought the ruins belonged to Balhae in the northern Korean Peninsula (698-926). [Photo/xinhuanet] As the ruins were buried in only soil and no other buildings were built on top of it, the structure has not shifted much since the Jin Dynasty, and now they have found antiques to match the historical records, according to Li. "All of these are rarely seen just in one site," Li added. The Jin Dynasty began in 1115 with Wanyan Aguda who led his Nuzhen (Jurchen) tribe to inhabit what is now Northeast China, and they eventually swept across Northern China, establishing a boundary with the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1280) around the Huai River. Wang Xiaokun, assistant professor at the history department of Renmin University, said the architectural style of Baoma is pretty similar to that of the inland region, and that it reflects a cultural blending and acceptance of Han culture. 800-year-old temple adds new facet to Changbai Mountain Experts and government officials pay a visit to the Baoma site, in An'tu, 50 kilometers away from Changbai Mountain, in Northeast China's Jilin province. [Photo/xinhuanet] "The Jin Dynasty was governed by a non-Han political power, and was greatly influenced by Han's culture," Wang said. "So I think it is a distinctive character of Chinese culture." A museum is said to be built around the Baoma ruins with the offering of worship ritual services and other cultural related facilities in the near future. "We willdevelop culture tourism on the site with zero tolerance for damaging it," said Li Yiyang, from the management body of Changbai Mountain scenic spot.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 Learning of his death, his brother Kublai returned north to secure his power base, giving the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279) a respite from continuous war.
2 Here shows a work by Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) painter Ma Yuan.
3 Rich families started to use this in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).