The history of Fuzhou

Fuzhou dialect is widely used in Fuzhou. Fuzhou dialect is one of the eight major dialects in Chinese, which was stereotyped in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and occupies an important position in Fujian dialect.

Fuzhou dialect is the common language of the "ten towns" of the old Fuzhou prefecture in the lower reaches of Minjiang River, and the whole eastern Fujian region is divided into representative dialects. It is popular in five districts, two cities and six counties in Fuzhou today, and can be understood by two cities and five counties under Ningde today. Some towns and villages in Taishun County, Pingyang County and Cangnan County, Zhejiang Province, outside the eastern Fujian dialect area, also have access to Fuzhou dialect. As for northern Fujian, such as Youxi, Jian 'ou, Shaxian, Shunchang and Jiangle. Fuzhou dialect is the second dialect, and overseas Chinese who went out from the eastern Fujian dialect area spread Fuzhou dialect all over the world.

Fuzhou dialect has many sources. Its bottom layer should be the language of the ancient Min and Yue nationalities. Early immigrants before Wei and Jin Dynasties brought ancient Wu dialect and ancient Chu dialect, and ancient Chinese and middle Chinese also obviously remained in Fuzhou dialect.

There are many modern celebrities in Fuzhou, including Li Gang, a patriotic celebrity in the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin Zexu, a modern national hero, Yan Fu, an enlightenment thinker, Lin Shu, a writer, Lin Juemin, a revolutionary martyr in 1911, Sa Zhenbing, a veteran of the navy, Chen Jingrun, a mathematician, Lin Sen, a writer, Hou, and Bing Xin, an overseas Chinese leader. In the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties alone, there were 3,632 Fuzhou-born scholars, including 7 top scholars, ranking among the top state capitals in China, and there were countless celebrities in modern times. Fuzhou is also the cradle of China's modern navy. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, the viceroy, viceroy and commander-in-chief of 13 Ren Haijun were all under the control of Fuzhou people. 199 1 year, among the outstanding experts and scholars in China in modern times, 53 were from Fuzhou, and 47 were Fuzhou academicians of China Academy of Sciences, ranking among the best in the cities in China.

City logo-"Three Mountains and One Water" sculpture: The "Three Mountains" in Fuzhou City stand among the mountains, and the five mountains, Pingshan Mountain and Minjiang River pass through the city like a green belt. According to historical records, the king of Fujian expanded the city in the second year of Liang Kaiping in the Five Dynasties, and incorporated the beautiful Yushan, Wushan and Pingshan into the city, forming a unique style of Fuzhou "the mountains are in the city and the city is in the mountains". "Three mountains and one water" has become the main symbol of Rongcheng, so Fuzhou is also called "three mountains".

City Tree-Banyan Tree: The cultivation of banyan trees in Fuzhou has become a common practice since ancient times. Especially in the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Boyu, the prefect, advocated that "banyan trees should be planted in every household" and "the city should be shaded in summer", which made Fuzhou have the reputation of "Rongcheng" again. The banyan tree is evergreen all the year round, with lush foliage and majestic vigor, symbolizing the urban spirit of Fuzhou. There are nearly a thousand ancient banyan trees in Fuzhou. Located in Fuzhou National Forest Park, this Millennium banyan tree is known as the largest banyan tree in Fuzhou, with a height of 20 meters and a crown projection area of over 1.330 square meters, which is very spectacular. Legend has it that during Ye Ping's reign in the Northern Song Dynasty, three military commanders planted this banyan tree while practicing martial arts here. When spring returns to the earth, about half of the crown of the ancient banyan tree germinates first. When the old leaves gradually fall off, the other half of the crown grows new leaves, forming a pleasant scene with distinct layers and different colors.

City Fruit-Fuju: Fuzhou Basin is rich in oranges, especially oranges, which are called "Fuju" because of their thin skin, red color, juicy taste and unique flavor. The maturity of Fuju is just at the end of the year. Fuzhou custom is famous for its "red", and the sound of "orange" is similar to "auspicious", so it has become a folk mascot and a New Year gift.

Jasmine, the city flower, is a specialty of Fuzhou, ranking first in the country in both yield and quality. Jasmine blossoms in late spring and early summer every year, with single petals, double petals, single leaves and compound leaves. There are red and white colors, mainly white flowers. Jasmine is elegant and can be used to make jasmine tea and extract spices.

Folk handicrafts-"Three Treasures of Fuzhou" and "Three Wonders of Rongcheng": Traditional handicrafts such as bodiless lacquerware, horn comb and paper umbrella are called "Three Treasures of Fuzhou". Shoushan stone carvings, bodiless lacquerware and cork paintings dating back to 1500 years are known as "three wonders of Rongcheng".

Cork painting, with cork bark as the material, is hand-made into landscapes, gardens, flowers and birds, etc., which has a unique artistic style and strong national characteristics.

Paper umbrellas, with exquisite materials, fine workmanship and various varieties, have both practical value and decorative and ornamental effects.

Bodiless lacquerware, Beijing cloisonne and Jiangxi Jingdezhen porcelain are also called the "three treasures" of China traditional crafts.

Horn comb, beautiful in appearance, durable, warm, lint-free, hands-free, antipruritic and painless, is deeply loved by guests at home and abroad.

Food culture-Fujian cuisine, represented by Fuzhou cuisine, has a long history, a wide variety, fine selection of ingredients and rigorous production. It is one of the eight major cuisines in China, which is unique in the culinary world and enjoys a good reputation at home and abroad. Buddha jumps over the wall, the first of Fujian cuisine, with precious raw materials, exquisite production and thick soup. Mussel chicken soup, with unique production method, mellow soup color and delicious taste, is known as the king of all dishes. Fuzhou's famous dishes, such as light lobster sauce, litchi meat, drunken chicken and taro duck, are also unique. Flavor snacks are also an important part of Fuzhou's food culture. According to the classification of raw materials, it can be divided into rice, flour, starch, dried fruit, meat and seafood, especially rice, beans and sugar. Red and white rice cakes during the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, Zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival and the solstice in winter are all traditional foods that Fuzhou people like. In recent years, Taichi taro paste of Juchunyuan Hotel in Fuzhou, fixed-edge paste of Antai Building and food garden, meatballs, fish balls and flat meat swallows have won the title of "Chinese famous snacks".

Traditional Arts-Fujian Opera, Pinghua and Fan Shi: Fujian Opera is also called "Fuzhou Opera". In the Ming Dynasty, Kunshan dialect and Yiyang dialect were introduced into Fuzhou, and Fuzhou dialect opera gradually rose. From the early years of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty to around the Revolution of 1911, it was called "Min Ban". 1924, Mr. Zheng Zhenduo published the traditional drama "Yu Zi Chai", and officially replaced the name "Min Ban" with "Min Opera". Pinghua is the main variety of folk art in Fuzhou. It pays attention to singing, speaking, doing and speaking. It has the reputation of "living fossil of humanity". Fan Shi, formerly known as "Xie Huan", means harmony and happiness. It is one of the main local music in Fuzhou. It evolved from a folk dragon dance with melodious tunes.

Fuzhou folk customs can be divided into five categories: festival customs, wedding, funeral and birthday customs, rural customs, food customs and clothing customs. There are mainly lanterns, stilts, dragon lanterns, lion dances, dragon boat races, mountain climbing and other folk activities.

Folklore develops in alternation.

The fashions and customs that have been popular among the people for thousands of years basically reflect the traditional habits, moral norms and spiritual outlook of Fuzhou people, and are an important part and distinctive symbol of Fujian folk culture. From the perspective of historical evolution, Fuzhou customs inherited the heritage of ancient Yue culture and accepted the influence of ancient Central Plains culture. At the same time, it is influenced by religion, especially Buddhism and Taoism; In modern times, it absorbed and integrated overseas cultural customs.

In the traditional seasonal festivals and customs in Fuzhou, welcoming the new year vividly reflects the traces left by ancient Yue. Traditional weddings and funerals, Lantern Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Ninth Festival, marriage and engagement in birthday customs, and birthdays, won birthdays, Kuixing birthdays, land birthdays and Luban birthdays in folk customs are obviously influenced by the Central Plains culture and are living fossils of ancient Central Plains culture.

The worship and belief of Fuzhou folk to Niang (Mazu, commonly known as Mazu) and the land goddess Chen Jinggu (called Mrs. Chen, the queen mother of the waterfront, commonly known as Shuinai) shows the profound influence of Taoism on Fuzhou folk customs, especially Shuinai, which has been regarded as the patron saint of women and children in the folk for hundreds of years, has penetrated into almost every household in the folk.

Believing in Guanyin's birthday and Dizang's birthday in folk customs fully shows the penetration of Buddhism. Buddhism and Taoism are worshipped by believers in Fuzhou folk customs, which is often the same as offering Buddha and Taoism. Relatively speaking, Islam has little influence on the customs of Fuzhou.

In modern times, living habits in Fuzhou have also been influenced by Catholicism and Christianity. Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and so on vividly reflect the tradition that Fuzhou people are good at absorbing foreign cultures.

All folk customs are "handed down by predecessors" (Fuzhou proverb). On the one hand, we inherit the folk cultural heritage of our ancestors, on the other hand, we create new folk culture for the next generation. In addition, all kinds of cultures, including folk culture, are unprecedentedly active, and old and new folk customs appear alternately. Fuzhou is no exception. For example, Taiping eggs get smaller and smaller as you eat them. Because duck egg is homophonic with "suppressing chaos", Fuzhou people call it "Taiping egg". When you meet a wedding reception, birthday party, farewell party, and over nine (those who meet nine in vain), you should eat flatly. However, with the improvement of living standards, people's appetite is getting smaller and smaller, and they feel that they can't eat the giant eggs in the banquet. For this reason, the chefs racked their brains and finally replaced it with quail eggs and pigeon eggs, which were elegant and innovative, and gradually became a new custom. Moreover, quail is homophonic with safety, which is quite meaningful and quickly accepted by the masses.

Bole Festival encroaches on traditional festivals. In recent years, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas and other imported festivals have become the trend of this city. Fuzhou has the tradition of "Boiling Wine Festival". Married daughters should make "boiled wine porridge" on the 29th day of the first month, and send it back to their parents as soon as possible to honor their parents. Up to now, the suburban counties of Fuzhou still maintain this custom, but the "Aojiu Festival" in the urban area has gradually been replaced by "Mother's Day". Speaking of this festival, the flower shop business is particularly good. You can also see your parents' party in the restaurant. In addition, Valentine's Day and Christmas are also invading. Recently, Fuzhou Hotel plans to hold a traditional Valentine's Day event in China on July 7th this year. I wonder if I can catch my lover's heart.

"One more person" should become a full member. At a traditional banquet, the oldest person should sit for a while. Take the Eight Immortals Banquet (Table) in the lobby of old houses as an example. The one on the left is the table, and the one on the left is the one inside, which means "one is longer". Only those with the longest experience and the oldest qualifications are eligible to participate. But now the "long one" has turned positive. No matter what kind of house it is, whether it is a square table or a round table, the one facing the door in the middle of the table is the largest. The person who sits in the largest position is the host, followed by the person with the highest status, and the third is the "head person" among the distinguished guests; According to age and seniority, there are only family banquets and rural customs activities. From a table on the left to a "middle" one, it is easy for young people to understand, and of course they have to turn to the end.

Rebate instead of wine package. There is a custom of "carrying wine bags" at traditional banquets in Fuzhou, that is, the caterer will not only let the guests have enough to eat and drink (Fuzhou custom), but also let you bring a big bag of wine back for parents or wives and children to share, which is very meaningful in the era of food shortage. But on today's Fu Ri Festival (Fuzhou proverb), wine bags have become the burden of the party, so no one takes them back and has to throw them away. To this end, people have come up with many reform methods. First, replacing wine bags with aluminum barrels and thermos bottles makes this kind of wine bags in the homes of frequent diners a disaster. However, the custom of wine bags cannot be abolished. In desperation, we have to use cash rebate instead. Now go to the wedding reception, you give a big red envelope and the host gives you a small red envelope. 10 yuan, 30 yuan. The guests got rid of the drag of the old wine bag and had a "wine bag" that could be put into their pockets. Why not? In all these cases, many new folk customs are replacing the old folk customs, and the old and new folk customs coexist alternately, with many innovative contents.