Breaking willows to say goodbye
Breaking willows to say goodbye is a traveling custom in ancient China, which is reflected in literary works such as poetry, opera and novels. "Sanfu Huangtu·Bridge": "Ba (Ba) Bridge is a bridge across the water in the east of Chang'an. Han people saw off their guests here and broke willows to say goodbye." This is the earliest written record about breaking willows to say goodbye. Therefore, it is generally believed that this custom was formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties. This ancient bridge with special cultural significance still spans the Ba River in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an City. It is known as the "Baliu Wind and Snow" and is included in the "Eight Scenic Spots of Guanzhong".
How did the custom of breaking willows to give farewells come into being? Or at the end of the Warring States Period, Qin general Wang Jian led his troops to attack Chu, and the elders from Guanzhong were sent to Bashang. It was late spring, the green willows were drooping, and the wind blew the catkins. The elders broke off fresh willow branches and inserted them into the armor of the soldiers on the expedition as a sign of good luck. Later, when the Qin army defeated Yan and destroyed Qi, and went out of the country for many years, breaking willows as farewell gradually became a farewell ritual, and became a national custom with the unification of Qin.
The above folklore is not recorded in historical records. Therefore, most people believe that the formation of the custom of breaking willows as gifts is related to the homophonic pronunciation of "Liu" and "Liu". Breaking willows and giving them to passers-by is a way to express reluctant nostalgia. The song "I have passed away in the past, and the willows are still there" in "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Caiwei" reflects that the folk cultural connotation of this homophonic meaning has already been produced in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Another explanation is that breaking willows to say goodbye is a wish for travelers to have a safe journey. The ancients regarded the willow tree as a "ghost-terrible tree" that can ward off evil spirits and exorcise ghosts. "Qi Min Yao Shu" written by Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty states: "On the first day of the first lunar month, if you take a willow branch and place it on the door, all ghosts will not enter the house." Duan Chengshi's "Youyang Zazu" "" contains: "On March 3rd, I gave my courtiers a thin willow ring, saying that wearing it will avoid the poison of grasshoppers." In addition, there is also the custom of sticking willow leaves on the temples during the Qingming Festival, which is called "willow leaf talisman", which also points out the willow. Talisman sexual function. All these can reflect the meaning of breaking willows to ward off evil spirits - pedestrians wearing it can scare away ghosts and stay away, ensuring a safe journey.
Some people pointed out that the ancients broke willows to give farewells not only to relatives and friends, but also to miss relatives and friends far away. For example, Cui Shi's poem "Folding Willows": "February is half beautiful, The three sides are garrisoned and will not be returned; the concubine cherishes herself in her youth, and the willow tree climbs for the king. "Li Bai's poem "Xuancheng Sends Deputy Liu to the Qin Dynasty": "No order to long for love, break the willow branch." This kind of long-term sentiment is the development. There are many chapters in Tang poetry about sending broken willow branches to the one you care about. For example, Lu Zhaolin said: "We climb the branches to chat about sending them, but there are few letters in the army"; Wei Chengqing: "Thousands of miles away in the border city, there are willows in spring. "I can't bear to waste time, so I send it to my lover with affection"; Zhang Jiuling: "Fragment of willows is delicate, and I send this to my lover", etc. This leads to the deep cultural connotation of the custom of breaking willows to give farewell: Willows are a symbol of hometown and family affection. They can not only comfort travelers in the loneliness of traveling in a foreign land, but also often stimulate the nostalgia for hometown and relatives. According to this, the meaning of Li Bai's saying "Hearing the broken willows in the flute on this night, who can't forget the love of his hometown" ("Hearing the Flute in Luo City on a Spring Night") is the most appropriate explanation.