Hawking's basic meaning

Selling, also called shouting, is also called the sound of the city or the sound of goods. This is a primary advertising form and a historical phenomenon. "Everything is wrong" contains: "The solid thing of its shield cannot be trapped. I am trapped in the benefits of spears. " This "contradictory" story of selling spears and shields can be said to be the earliest recorded in ancient books. Since the commodity exchange in the Western Zhou Dynasty, with the development of trade, "Hong merchants sit on the mountain and eat nothing" came into being. Businessmen are eager to buy and sell, and they must use hawking (there is no need to peddle when they have their own shops), especially those small traders who do small businesses. Therefore, the history of peddling along the street is very long.

In recent years, perhaps for nostalgic reasons, on the stage and at temple fairs, some people are imitating the previous hawking sounds, some of which are really similar, but they always feel "fake" after listening to them, because they are full of food and drink, lacking a sense of vicissitudes, realism and historical environment. But in any case, these imitative shouts let young people know a side of life in Beijing in the past, and also let nostalgic people find a feeling. And listening to real or loud and melodious, or deep, or hoarse and short crying, and eating sweet and delicious, authentic, dusty snacks, only in dreams.

As far as Beijing is concerned, the long and melodious cries of Beijing flavor and Beijing rhyme have a long history, forming a unique style and becoming an important part of Beijing flavor culture. No matter in temple fairs, streets, day and night, in my childhood memory, from the late 1940 s to the mid-1950 s, I can hear the sound of this city almost every day.

As the saying goes, "drink whatever you sell." In the past, most of the goods and hawking sounds sold by vendors in Beijing were different according to the seasons and festivals. However, there are also some small vendors who sell the same commodity all year round, regardless of season. Among them, some craftsmen, such as those who repair leather casual shoes, those who repair tables and chairs, those who sharpen scissors and grab kitchen knives, and those who repair umbrellas, all have their own shouts.