Jiangnan Humanities

At the "Art Exhibition of the 30th Anniversary of Pudong's Development and Opening-up" which recently landed in China Art Palace, the immersive scene of the "first floor" of Xinchang Ancient Town became the "network celebrity punching point"-how many Jiangnan people were drunk with the sound of gongs and drums in the teahouse.

This "first floor", known as the "bookstore on the first floor", is a three-story brick-wood building, sitting on the bridge of Hongfu Bridge and facing the north-south street. It is the most conspicuous landmark in Xinchang ancient town. Founded at the end of Tongzhi, about a century and a half ago, it is one of the only two Shanghai cultural relics protection units in the ancient town.

Interestingly, the shops hanging along the river in the "first floor bookstore" actually refer to the "first floor tea garden", which is the indissoluble bond between teahouse and storytelling, and also the slow time in Jiangnan. A small bridge, a cup of tea and a book are the standard of life in Jiangnan, which makes people fascinated.

Tea shops are everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River, and "incubating teahouses" is the most common way for local people to relax.

Historian Wang mentioned in his Essay on the Social History of Jiangnan in Ming and Qing Dynasties that the expenditure on culture and entertainment in Jiangnan accounts for a considerable proportion in daily consumption, which is higher than that in other parts of the country. The cultural entertainment he said includes drinking tea in the teahouse and listening to books in the bookstore. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the folk cultural and recreational activities in Jiangnan showed a certain degree of development, which was closely related to the developed towns and rich economic conditions in Jiangnan at that time. If so, this situation has continued to this day.

There are tea shops everywhere in Jiangnan. In Jiangnan, drinking tea in teahouses (sometimes called teahouses and tea rooms) is called "incubating teahouses", which is the most common leisure pastime for ordinary people and has long been a tradition. A word "incubation" reveals a leisurely and carefree state of mind, so time goes by little by little and tea soup is diluted little by little. As early as the Qianlong period, people can get a glimpse of the prosperity of Jiangnan teahouse in The Scholars. In the novel, Mr. Ma Er visited Hangzhou six times and had tea outside Qiantang Gate, near Jingci, Leifeng, Wuhe and Chenghuang Temple. Through his eyes, the reader found that there are many teahouses in the city, even more than 30 teahouses (tea stalls) on a road, and these teahouses are popular places for consumption. Although the teahouse industry in Shanghai flourished later than that in Suzhou and Hangzhou, it was spectacular in the first half of the 20th century, with at least 800 teahouses. The names are very elegant, not only using the word "Lou", but also occasionally using the words "Lu", "Garden", "Xuan" and "Pavilion", and even naming them "Man" and "Yuhuchun".

In fact, teahouses in different areas of Jiangnan show some differences according to local conditions. In this regard, Suzhou writer Tao Wenyu described it in the book Teahouse. For example, most of the teahouses in Suzhou and Hangzhou are recognized for their unique scenery, Suzhou Gardens and West Lake in Hangzhou-there are not a few Suzhou people who drink garden tea, and couples' gardens and art gardens are good places to drink tea; If there is no teahouse near the West Lake, the West Lake will definitely have no backbone. If Longjing doesn't grow in Hangzhou, which owns the West Lake, it will lose many flavors and colors. Among them, Sanya Garden and Ouxiangju are two famous teahouses near the West Lake in the early Qing Dynasty. Let's look at Yangzhou people's preference for teahouses-the sign of Yangzhou's relatively rich life is to soak in teahouses. According to Yangzhou people, it is "water in the morning and water in the evening". This "water entanglement" refers to drinking tea, and "water entanglement" refers to taking a bath in the hall; In addition, Yangzhou teahouse is often equipped with flavor snacks, tea is the lead singer, and all kinds of snacks are chorus.

As for the teahouses in Shanghai, the focus is on "variety", Jiangsu and Zhejiang styles and southern styles, because there are all kinds of people from south to north. Teahouses in many ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River can be described as sui generis, often located by the river, hidden among people with small bridges and flowing water, and quite poetic. This teahouse can also be said to be "the most Jiangnan"-Hu Xiaoming, a professor of Chinese Department of East China Normal University, pointed out in "Jiangnan Cultural Poetics" that "water town" is the eye of Jiangnan and the brightest and moving place in Jiangnan.

The first floor of the new building, facing the water and with four windows, is the representative of the teahouse in the ancient water town. The typical block pattern of Jiangnan water town is still clearly visible in Xinchang ancient town today: the street is parallel to the river, the city stands by the river, and the streets are lined with shops and houses. Bookstores, tea gardens, restaurants and other public places of leisure and entertainment are happy to be located at the intersection of the main street and the city river, which is convenient to attract businessmen from the past. The first floor, which integrates bridge, water, building and street, is the largest teahouse in Pudong area, occupying the C position of the ancient town. Hongfu Bridge, where it sits, is one of the two most important bridges in the ancient town. Its unique hilltop and height beyond the surrounding buildings declare its prominent position in urban life. The origin of its name "the first floor" means that it has the highest floor in the new field at that time.

In Jiangnan, many teahouses are combined with bookstores. The popular "soup book" and "wall book" have nourished many people's Quyi enlightenment.

Teahouses are places for drinking tea. But people don't just come to tea houses to drink tea. This is a leisure space, a commercial space, an entertainment space and a cultural space.

In Jiangnan, many teahouses are combined with bookstores, collectively known as teahouse bookstores, which have become an important carrier of Jiangnan culture. This origin probably began in the Ming dynasty, and some experts speculate that it should be related to the prosperity of Ming dynasty characters. This is also the innovative management experience of the teahouse. In order to enhance competitiveness, the teahouse owner invited folk artists who walked the streets to perform. Tea drinkers can not only drink tea and chat in the teahouse, but also listen to folk art. Of course, there are many businesses in teahouses, such as introducing snacks-Luochunge Teahouse, which was opened in Shanghai by Huang Chujiu, a business tycoon, and turning raw-fried steamed bread into the main business in the future. There is also an entertainment project, such as opening a mirror and making a peep show-there used to be a Qingliange Teahouse on Fuzhou Road in Shanghai. However, it is generally considered that it is the most logical to appreciate Quyi in a teahouse.

For a long time, Quyi was attached to the teahouse. Take the bookstore in Suzhou as an example. The bookstore in the early Qing Dynasty just carved a corner in the teahouse, temporarily set up a bookcase and added some chairs. In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the performance of Quyi became more and more prominent in the management of teahouses, until the bookstore gradually became independent from teahouses and its management became more standardized. However, even in specialized bookstores, tea is standard. As long as you buy a ticket, the audience can often make a cup of hot tea and sit for an afternoon. In the 1930 s, there was a teahouse and bookstore trade association in Suzhou, and teahouse and bookstore were juxtaposed to form a name. At that time, a survey on the entertainment life of urban and rural people in Suzhou showed that words such as "tea club playing the word" and "drinking tea and listening to books" appeared frequently. In the old bookstores in Shanghai, traces of tea can also be seen everywhere. Yang Zhongming wrote in the article "The Old Bookstore in Shanghai": "If the bookstore is a humble teahouse, it is said that the bookshelves are placed on the flat ground, which is called" Taiwan Book "; The desk is made of brick or wood, which is higher than the ground and convenient for the audience in the back row to listen and see. This is the so-called "dragon table". Old bookstores have long or square tables with benches or armchairs on both sides, and tea sets can be placed on the tables. All benches or armchairs in front of desks are mostly designed for older people with more experience in listening to books to show respect and preferential treatment. There is often a round cup holder (wood or wire) on the back of the chair, which can be used for the audience in the back row to place tea cups. "

Teahouses and bookstores in the south of the Yangtze River are classy in the minds of ordinary people. The standard of distinction lies not in the scale of teahouse and the quality of tea products, but in the grade of artists hired. In this regard, Wu Chenyu described it in the book Up and Down Bookstore-Pingtan Bookstore and Suzhou Society since the Late Qing Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, there were more than a dozen permanent bookstores in Suzhou Teahouses, and the most influential one was later called "Bunch". This refers to the old teahouse, which was established in 1862 and is recognized as the most upscale teahouse in Suzhou. Most of the guests are squires, celebrities and businessmen, and the artists who come to perform are first-class famous artists. Even famous actors can activate the original ordinary teahouse bookstore. The "Phoenix Garden" and "Guifang Pavilion" in Tiantang District, Waihu Lake, Nagato, Suzhou are both famous for performing the famous storyteller Ma Rufei.

There are also sayings of "putting soup books" and "hitting the wall books", which are popular in teahouses and bookstores in the south of the Yangtze River. "Putting a soup book" means that at the end of a story, the door of the teahouse bookstore is suddenly opened, so that other people watching the fun can come in and lick their tails. "Wallpaper" means listening to lectures on the wall, without occupying seats and spending money. Of course, it is impossible to open a "soup book" or a "wall book" for a famous performance. The ordinary performance of "Tang Shu" and "Wall Shu" is a kind of nourishment for the public's Quyi enlightenment. Chen Yun was a frequent visitor to the "swing grass" when he was young. He once recalled that when he was a waiter in his hometown of Jiangnan water town, he often listened to the "wall grass" of the nearby Changchun Garden Bookstore. I became addicted at will, not only became an "old listener" in the future, but also loved the art of pingtan all my life.

The book "Xinchang Ancient Town-Protection and Inheritance of Famous Historical and Cultural Town" contains two photos taken on the first floor in May 2003, which restores the scene of Xinchang Teahouse Bookstore at that time. One of the photos is a story-telling scene upstairs: villagers with all white hair are sitting neatly, with their usual teacups in front of them; Another photo focuses on a handwritten self-made "advertisement" posted on the wall of the teahouse, accompanied by a self-made poem. In fact, as early as 1930, a bookstore was opened on the first floor of the new building, which was the earliest in the former Nanhui area. Storytellers are mostly folk artists, which are deeply loved by residents and have a great influence in the local area and even in the south of the Yangtze River.

The soft voice of Wu Nong and the sound of black pipa from the teahouse have become an important carrier of Jiangnan culture and the collective memory of Jiangnan people.

Since Qianlong period, Pingtan-Pinghua and Tanci-is the most popular folk art in Jiangnan teahouse bookstore, which is widely favored by Jiangnan people.

Why pingtan? In fact, this has gone through the elutriation of time, which is also closely related to its gradually formed characteristics of * * * appealing to both refined and popular tastes. There are many kinds of traditional dramas in China, including Kunqu Opera. However, Kunqu Opera, which is too poetic, inevitably has a high and narrow audience and is not suitable for the teahouse where people of all colors gather, so it gradually fades out of the teahouse and mostly performs in the Qushe. As an ancient and beautiful rap art, Pingtan is grounded compared with Kunqu Opera, and will be constantly adjusted and improved in the future development, and eventually become the "golden partner" of teahouses in Jiangnan area.

Comments, commonly known as "big books", tell more historical stories and Jianghu heroes. The Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, Heroes and Heroes, and The Story of Jintai all belong to this category. Tanci, commonly known as "short story", is mostly about talented people and beautiful women. Typical stories include Pearl Tower, golden phoenix, San Xiao, Xiang Qiu, Wu Wen and so on. Wu Nong's soft words, black pipa and all kinds of stories they carry have become warm memories of too many Jiangnan people. Ye Shengtao, who came out of Suzhou, once wrote a prose ballad at 1930' s, vividly describing the doorway he got from listening to books when he was a child: "Small books should be delicate ..." Big books pay more attention to performance than small books. The storyteller sat in a chair with a table and a half in front of him. He is not easy to swing when he stands up occasionally, but just like an actor on the stage, when fighting, the slapper must show the gestures of both sides to others. ""storytelling doesn't focus on the things in the book, and often adds a lot of "episodes" where it can be added. The source of' interspersed' is nothing more than' snickering in the forest' and so on. Of course, those who can arrange one or two "interludes" are experts. "

Folk operas full of friendly local accents can often be found in Jiangnan teahouses. Some researchers have investigated the consumption of Jiangnan residents in leisure and entertainment life since18th century, and found that the tea room plays in Jiangnan are "salty with nine tones and thirteen tones", including Tan Huang, Flower Carving, Daoqing, Juggling, Neighbourhood Play, Woodenhead Play, Hua Gutiao, Lotus Music and so on. In short, most of them are popular and reflect the aesthetic taste of the public. Even the drama went into the teahouse. Zhejiang No.1 Opera Troupe, established in 19 12, performed on the stage of Hangzhou Tianxian Tea Garden.

Jiangnan traditional operas have a long history and a wide variety. In teahouses in different areas, you can hear programs with local characteristics. For example, the "storytelling" in teahouses, large and small, in Xinchang ancient town is equivalent to pingtan, which is a gong and drum. This is one of the most primitive folk arts in Nanhui area. It used to be called Taibao Book, and its name comes from Taibao. It is an activity of seeking peace in rural areas of Shanghai suburbs. It is expressed in the form of rap, including narration, singing, solo and duet. The content is folklore and historical stories. With the passage of time, this form gradually emerged from religious ceremonies and developed into an independent folk rap form. In 2004, among the 29 national folk cultural protection projects announced by the Ministry of Culture, the original Nanhui gongs and drums book was listed as the only selected project in Shanghai, while Xinchang ancient town was identified as the intangible cultural heritage base of "gongs and drums book". In the ancient town, another teahouse bookstore, Zhonghua Building, which was once as famous as the first floor, has now been transformed into China Gong and Drum Book Art Museum, allowing visitors to enjoy the performance of Gong and Drum Book and understand its history. From time to time, gongs and drums are staged on the first floor.

Author: Fan Xin

Photo: Photo courtesy of Xinchang Town, historical photos of vision china, Wen Hui Daily.