Without electricity in ancient times, what was the nightlife of the ancients like?

? People of different classes in ancient times had different nightlife richness. For rural people, most people go to bed after dark. After all, the lighting in those days was too expensive, and neither oil lamps nor candles could be consumed by ordinary people. Burning candles did not enter the civilian class until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The so-called "burning the midnight oil" is the way of life of the rich in ancient times.

? The most common nightlife of ordinary families is chatting with their families by moonlight. The more serious content is called "talking about the past". Older people usually tell younger generations historical allusions and etiquette norms, and sometimes they also tell some life experiences. It is indecent to tell all kinds of neighborhood gossip, stories and jokes, or some dirty jokes, which are collectively called "speaking vernacular". Among the contents of "speaking vernacular", the most popular ones are folk stories and jokes that ridicule "fools". Curiosity and entertainment are common phenomena at all times and in all countries.

? It's better in the city. You can listen to The Night Watch's "Dry Weather, Beware of Candles" at night. Before the Tang Dynasty, it was impossible for city people to go out for a stroll at night. This is because there was a strict "night ban system" at that time, and people would be beaten when they went to the streets at night. The law of the Tang Dynasty stipulates that those who commit crimes at night are twenty. In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, with the rapid development of social economy and the relaxation of government control, the night ban system was gradually abolished.

? In the Song Dynasty, the night ban system was completely abolished, and Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, was completely turned into a city that never sleeps. In Kaifeng city, the busiest street at night belongs to Maxing Street, which is brightly lit, noisy and smoky. There are many places of entertainment, besides Quyi, there are various entertainment games such as selling hexagrams, exploring blogs, drawing paper, composing songs and telling history. There were also many stalls in the night market in the Song Dynasty. You can buy a special snack with 20 articles, which is equivalent to about 10 dollars today. The business hours of this night market food stall are very late, and some of them are open until midnight. By the time the booth closed, the morning market operator had set up the booth.