Wang Anshi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in Yuan Ri:
Besides firecrackers, the spring breeze warms Tu Su.
Thousands of families always trade new peaches for old ones.
What do "new peach" and "old symbol" mean? In modern terms, it is the Spring Festival couplets. Spring Festival couplets are a kind of couplets. How did China Spring Festival couplets develop?
As a unique literary form, Spring Festival couplets have a long history in China. It began in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has developed for more than a thousand years today.
As early as before the Qin and Han dynasties, there was a custom of hanging peach symbols around the gate every New Year. Fu Tao is two big boards made of peach wood, on which are written the names of the legendary gods and spirits who exorcise ghosts and suppress evil spirits. This custom lasted for more than 1000 years. It was not until the Five Dynasties that people began to put couplets on mahogany boards instead of the names of gods. According to historical records, on New Year's Eve in 964 AD, Meng Chang, the master of Houshu, wrote a couplet on the bedroom door, namely, "On New Year's Eve, Jia Jienuo. Changchun ",the earliest Spring Festival couplets in China.
After the Song Dynasty, it has become quite common for people to hang Spring Festival couplets in the New Year. Therefore, Wang Anshi wrote in the poem "January Day" that "thousands of households always change new peaches for old ones" was a true portrayal of the Spring Festival couplets at that time. Due to the close relationship between the appearance of Spring Festival couplets and Fu Tao, the ancients also called Spring Festival couplets "Fu Tao".
In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding father of the Ming Dynasty, strongly advocated couplets. After establishing the capital of Jinling (now Nanjing), he ordered ministers, officials and ordinary people to write a couplet and put it on the door before New Year's Eve. Dressed in casual clothes, he went out door to door to watch the excitement. Scholars at that time also regarded couplets as elegant enjoyment, and writing Spring Festival couplets became a social fashion.
After entering the Qing Dynasty, couplets prevailed in Qianlong, Jiaqing and Daoguang generations. Just like the prosperous Tang Dynasty, many famous couplets appeared.
With the development of cultural exchanges among countries, couplets were introduced to Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and other countries. These countries still have the custom of pasting couplets.
Couplets are one of the unique literary forms in China, and their wonderful combination with calligraphy has become a colorful artistic creation of the Chinese nation. Couplets are called "couplets", which are named after the pillars hanging in halls and houses in ancient times. As early as before the Qin and Han dynasties, there was a custom of hanging peach symbols in the New Year. The so-called Fu Tao refers to writing the names of the legendary gods "Shen Tu" and "Lei Yu" on two mahogany boards and hanging them on the left and right doors to drive away ghosts and suppress evil spirits. This custom lasted for more than 1000 years, and it was not until the Five Dynasties that people began to paste couplets on mahogany boards. According to "Songshi Shu Family", Meng Chang, the master of Shu after the Five Dynasties, "in addition to the year after year, the bachelor's degree was inscribed with a peach symbol, and a bedroom door was set around. At the end of the year (AD 964), the bachelor was lucky enough to write a poem by Yin Xun. Because of his non-job, he pretended to write a poem: Qing Yu in the New Year, Jia Jienuo. Changchun. " This is the earliest Spring Festival couplets in China. After the Song Dynasty, it has become quite common for people to hang Spring Festival couplets in the New Year. In Wang Anshi's poems, the phrase "Thousands of households always change new peaches for old ones" is a true portrayal of the grand occasion at that time. Because the appearance of Spring Festival couplets is closely related to peach symbols, the ancients also called Spring Festival couplets "peach symbols".
It was not until the Ming Dynasty that people began to use red paper instead of red boards, which led to the Spring Festival couplets we see today. According to Miscellaneous Notes of Mao Yunlou, before the Lunar New Year's Eve, after Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of Ming Dynasty, made Jinling his capital, he ordered officials and literati to hang a pair of Spring Festival couplets at home, go out incognito in person, watch from house to house and have fun. From then on, all scholars think antithesis is an elegant thing. After entering the Qing Dynasty, couplets once flourished, and many famous couplets appeared.
With the development of cultural exchanges between countries, couplets have also been introduced to Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, Singapore and other countries. These countries still have the custom of pasting couplets.
The origin and development of couplets is one of the unique literary forms in China. Its wonderful combination with calligraphy has become a colorful artistic creation of the Chinese nation. Couplets are called "couplets", which are named after the pillars hanging in halls and houses in ancient times. As early as before the Qin and Han dynasties, there was a custom of hanging peach symbols in the New Year. The so-called Fu Tao refers to writing the names of the legendary gods "Shen Tu" and "Lei Yu" on two mahogany boards and hanging them on the left and right doors to drive away ghosts and suppress evil spirits. This custom lasted for more than 1000 years, and it was not until the Five Dynasties that people began to paste couplets on mahogany boards. According to "Songshi Shu Family", Meng Chang, the master of Shu after the Five Dynasties, "in addition to the year after year, the bachelor's degree was inscribed with a peach symbol, and a bedroom door was set around. At the end of the year (AD 964), the bachelor was lucky enough to write a poem by Yin Xun. Because of his non-job, he pretended to write a poem: Qing Yu in the New Year, Jia Jienuo. Changchun. " This is the earliest Spring Festival couplets in China. After the Song Dynasty, it has become quite common for people to hang Spring Festival couplets in the New Year. In Wang Anshi's poems, the phrase "Thousands of households always change new peaches for old ones" is a true portrayal of the grand occasion at that time. Because the appearance of Spring Festival couplets is closely related to peach symbols, the ancients also called Spring Festival couplets "peach symbols".
It was not until the Ming Dynasty that people began to use red paper instead of red boards, which led to the Spring Festival couplets we see today. According to Miscellaneous Notes of Mao Yunlou, before the Lunar New Year's Eve, after Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of Ming Dynasty, made Jinling his capital, he ordered officials and literati to hang a pair of Spring Festival couplets at home, go out incognito in person, watch from house to house and have fun. From then on, all scholars think antithesis is an elegant thing. After entering the Qing Dynasty, couplets once flourished, and many famous couplets appeared.
With the development of cultural exchanges between countries, couplets have also been introduced to Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, Singapore and other countries. These countries still have the custom of pasting couplets.