It is an important content in the life of ancient Chinese people to play in four seasons. Throughout the year, go through spring, summer, autumn or winter, the climate change and different characteristics appear in the natural environment too. But the ancient Chinese can comply with the trend of the nature and regulate one’s own rhythm of life effectively, make use of the opportunity that the different seasons vouchsafe, carry on various game and exercise of amusement, enjoy life to their heart’s content.

Spring Outing

At the beginning of spring, the rivers and mountains revival, all sorts of flowers will be open soon. Chinese forefathers never miss this wonderful season. The people go outside outing and enjoy the sight of change of the nature. The climate is pleasant in spring. Peoples are intoxicated in the wonderful spring scenery, ride a horse, or take a walk, or sit and drink, full of vigor everywhere.

Chinese ancient people tour in spring and still develop the varied game and exercise at the same time, include cockfighting, play on a swing, fly the kite, tug-of-war, play polo, wrestling, horse race, play Chinese chess, row the boat, etc. Enrich the spring outing content from various angle, add the happy atmosphere.

The famous painting in China — The Spring Outing Painting

Summer

Summer come, the weather is hot. In order to spend hot summer happily, Chinese ancient people invented a lot of methods. For example make use of ice stored in winter to freeze the food in summer; use the Chinese fan…

In the Tang Dynasty, emperors had a cool hall especially in the palace. Installed the mechanical refrigeration apparatus in the hall. This kind of apparatus adopts the method of the cold water circulation, rotate the fan, produce the wind and send the cool air into the hall. Meanwhile, still utilize mechanical force to send the cold water onto the roof, then let water flow along the eaves, form the artificial water curtain, evoke the cool air, achieve the goal of cooling. And furnish various fragrant flowers around the hall, transmit the fragrance through cool wind. The fragrance is full of room. This is the earliest air conditioner in the world.

Ancient Chinese fan

Enjoy autumn

The autumn air is fresh and the scenery is bright and beautiful. Chinese ancient people regard autumn as a fine season. The people have another pastime style, for example enjoy the full moon on the Mid-autumn Festival, and ascend a height on the Double Ninth Festival…

The climax of China’s ancient enjoying autumn main appears on the 15th of August and September 9. One is the Mid-autumn Festival; the other is the Double Ninth Festival.

On the every 15th of August, the Chinese ancient has good aesthetic mood enjoying the full moon at night. People assembled in the pavilion, enjoyed the moonlight and night scene with the comfortable wind, eat moon cake and all kinds of fruit and chat until late at night.

Chinese ancient people set off an upsurge of amusement in autumn when the Double Ninth Festival. It is the most attractive recreation that ascends a height. So-called “Ascend a height” is that take mountaineering as the core, and climb the floor or climb the tower. Meanwhile, people still develop the activity of other amusement, for example picnic, wear the cornel, drink the chrysanthemum wine etc., full of happy atmosphere everywhere.

The Mid-autumn Festival

Play in winter

Cold winter come, but Chinese ancient people often launch various recreation, fully enjoy every seasons which the nature vouchsafe, never miss every day in life.

Enjoying the snow scenery is one of the ancient Chinese pastime manners in winter. People utilize ice and snow and make into various artificial views, view and admire and seek pleasure from it. Most of residents in Hangzhou stepped on snow to the West Lake at that time, appreciated the outdoor snow scenes. West Lake boatman will prepare more ship for visitors. The people viewing snow scene was spread all over the West Lake.

In the vast area of the north of China, the lake formed the thick ice in cold winter. People utilized this Heaven-sent chance, launched the diversified ice game. The earliest skating game is “drag the ice bed”. I.e. make into a small ice raft with the plank and bar iron. People sit above, or pull or push, rely on slippery strength of ice surface and speed along the ice surface.

Skating boots appeared in Qing Dynasty. The skating boots at that time were inlaying a bar iron under the shoes. It is different from the modern skating shoes. The Qing Dynasty people wore the skating boots and skated. They can make the complicated posture when fast skating. In addition, there were skating match and ice hockey match in Qing Dynasty period.

Skating Painting in Qing Dynasty

How about it? Do you think the life which does not have TV and computer is very fine too?

If you are interested in the life of the ancient people in China, then please continue paying close attention to the Mysterious China Blog.