There is an old saying: there are many yamen in Beijing, many foreign firms in Shanghai, many shops in Guangzhou and many teahouses in Chengdu.
It's not surprising-
Beijing is a city, and it is the capital. At the foot of the son of heaven, the first good area, the national pulse, the center, and many natural yamen;
* Shanghai is a beach, which opens early and has a big stall. It is a leading international metropolis, where all corners of the country meet, the beautiful tide of Europe returns, and there are many foreigners and natural foreign firms;
* Guangzhou is a city, which is dominated by commerce, and Jia lives on it. If you don't do business for a day, you can't live for a day. Will there be many shops?
It can be seen that there are many yamen, foreign firms and shops, which are all caused by the urban nature of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Chengdu is different.
Chengdu is not the capital, so there are not so many yamen. Without the Bund, there would be no need for so many foreign companies. Of course, there are shops in Chengdu, but most of them are restaurants, clothing stores and grocery stores, and there are few banks, firms and pawn shops with deep pockets like Guangzhou. Because Chengdu is not a "city" like Guangzhou after all, and it doesn't want to do so much business in Guangzhou.
Chengdu is a mansion, a land of plenty, "born in the inner room, no one knows her", hidden deep in the mountains in the southwest of the motherland. Only gathering does not dissipate, so you just need to enjoy it and don't rush.
Chengdu, like Wuhan, is a city that is neither east nor west nor south nor north: the Yangtze River in the north; With Qinling as the boundary, it lives in the south; At the same latitude as Wuhan, it is almost far from Lhasa and Shanghai.
However, the natural conditions of the two places are far apart.
Wuhan is extremely cold in winter and hot in summer, and the east, west, north and south are all inferior; In Chengdu, there is no north wind blowing in winter and no hot sun exposure in summer, which combines the advantages of east, west, north and south. Its sky is mild, its land is wet, its products are extremely rich, and the prices of these products are very cheap.
Chengdu people, living in this land of feng shui, naturally don't have to worry so much, spend so much effort and do so many things, as long as they live leisurely.
Then, how to stop and relax, of course, is to soak in the teahouse.
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Speaking of it, tea was originally the favorite of China people.
Few workers, farmers, business students and soldiers don't like tea, as long as they are from China.
However, it is Chengdu people who love tea the most, at least Chengdu people themselves think so.
Yes, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have green tea, Yunnan and Guizhou have tea, Guangdong has morning tea, northwest has milk tea, southern Fujian has oolong tea, and Beijing has big bowl of tea, but Chengdu people don't like it: green tea is too weak, Chata is strong, milk tea is tea or not, husband tea is tea or not, morning tea is a supporting role, and big bowl of tea can only be called "cow drink" and can only be used in Chengdu.
Delicious, because the scented tea in Chengdu is fragrant, strong and lasting, and it doesn't matter if a bowl of tea is washed seven or eight times; There is also pie, because it is a three-piece set of "covered bowl tea" with a tea bowl, a tea cover and a tea boat, which is drunk in a teahouse.
Drinking tea in a teahouse is very different from making tea at home. Making tea at home, who wouldn't? Obviously, only when you fall in love with the teahouse can you really fall in love with tea.
Chengdu people love teahouses.
It can be said that Chengdu people understand or express "tea-loving doctrine" as "tea-loving doctrine".
In fact, there are really too many teahouses in Chengdu. According to the survey of Chengdu, there were 5 16 streets and 454 teahouses in Chengdu in the late Qing Dynasty, and almost every street and lane had teahouses. 1935 Chengdu Xinxin News reported that there were 599 teahouses in Chengdu * * *, and the daily number of tea customers reached 6.5438+0.2 million, forming an out-and-out "100,000 troops". At that time, the city's population was less than 600,000. Except for women and children who are unlikely to enter the teahouse, the proportion of drinking tea is undoubtedly quite amazing.
Besides,120,000 people enter the teahouse. How much tea do you drink at the end of the day and how much time do you drink? With so many teahouses and so many customers, Chengdu should really be called the "teahouse capital".
In fact, even today, Chengdu's teahouses may still be the best in Sichuan, China and the world.
In Chengdu, there are teahouses in downtown areas, tea stalls in mean alleys, teahouses in parks, tea gardens in universities and teahouses everywhere. Especially in the old streets and alleys, within three or five steps, a teahouse will flash out, almost all of them are packed, customers are full of tents, and business is too good to be believed.
There are two reasons: first, there are many people who drink tea among the citizens, and second, tea drinkers spend a long time drinking tea and soaking for a long time. In the long run, the teahouse will naturally be crowded.
No wonder some people say that about half of Chengdu people live in teahouses. As for the other half, most of them went to a hot pot restaurant. It seems that just as the gate of Beijing is the "human gate" to interpret Beijing, the teahouse in Chengdu is also a key to interpret Chengdu.
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Teahouses are actually created by people who drink tea.
Impression of Chengdu Tea House (Tuyuanwang)
The number of tea drinkers in Chengdu is not only the largest in the world, but also the first-class tea drinker in China, just as the fans in Chengdu are entitled to consider themselves (almost recognized) as the best fans in China. Yes, people in China love tea, and people who own teahouses are by no means limited to Chengdu. But it seems that only Chengdu people like teahouses and tea so much. For them, the words "rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea" should be read backwards. Authentic old Chengdu often yawns at dawn, rushes through the misty morning fog and goes straight to the steaming teahouse. Only when they get there will they really wake up from their dreams; Only there, first take a sip of tea and rinse your mouth, and then swallow the hot and fragrant tea soup, will you feel refreshed, refreshed and really alive.
Some people may say that this is nothing. People in Guangzhou and Yangzhou also like to eat morning tea. Authentic Yangzhou people, like Chengdu people, go straight to the teahouse to drink morning tea at dawn. However, Guangzhou people and Yangzhou people have to eat so many snacks when drinking morning tea, so it is not clear whether they eat morning tea or breakfast. What's more, the morning tea of Guangzhou people is actually eaten in hotels and restaurants; Yangzhou people only "soak in the teahouse" in the morning and change it to "soak in water" (bath house) in the afternoon. Unlike Chengdu people, they have a soft spot for teahouses from morning till night and are loyal to each other.
Perhaps it is precisely because Chengdu people love their teahouses so much that the simple and traditional teahouses will not disappear in China. Isn't it? As a symbol of old Beijing, Laoshe Teahouse has long since disappeared, and Beijing's "tea culture" has become a "big bowl tea culture". It is said that the teahouse in Shanghai is only decorated by the lake pavilion of the Old Town God Temple. I don't know what the situation is. Of course, there are some new so-called "red tea houses" or "tea houses" in various places now, but most of them are luxuriously decorated, exquisitely equipped, bejeweled, with profound background and luxurious style. Most of them are so-called "ladies" who perform so-called "tea ceremony" or "tea art" with unknown sources and charge amazing "tea money". As for the atmosphere and taste of the old teahouse, of course, there is nothing at all. To put it bluntly, they are just tourist attractions for foreigners, and they are likely to be "fake and shoddy products".
However, Chengdu is very different. Although there are high-end and luxurious new teahouses in Chengdu, which are only for the rich to show off, there are also many simple and simple old teahouses for the citizens to relax. These old teahouses, or pavements in the street, or huts in the lane, or pavilions by the river, or open spaces among trees, have 35 square tables, dozens of bamboo chairs, plus tiger stoves, big iron pot (or big copper pots) and covered bowls of tea utensils, which have become a paradise for ordinary people.
What are the advantages of such a simple and simple environment? As Lin Wenxun said in his book Chengdu People: "The environment is random, the venue is simple, and the people coming and going are also random." Three religions and nine streams, get together, don't talk about hierarchy, don't need etiquette, everyone is very comfortable: or have tea and chat, have sex; Or read books and newspapers, close your eyes, do not interfere with each other, and each has its own position. Say whatever you want, add water, and you can vomit all over the floor. If you want to scold your mother, you will be called "turtle son". Isn't it soon?
This is actually a popular place in Chengdu's old teahouse. After all, drinking tea, and not going to court, why do you have to be so serious and salute like an instrument? People who drink tea enter the teahouse for relaxation and leisure. As the saying goes, "Let go of work and have a cup of tea; Have fun in boredom and bring a cigarette. "You get a few well-dressed ladies to pick you up, and the waiter serves you respectfully, which makes the tea drinkers see things in a blur and feel at a loss. They are afraid of making mistakes and being slaughtered in their hearts. Where can they relax and what is leisure? The old teahouse in Chengdu can be said to be good because of the word "casual", so it is loved by Chengdu citizens. Even if they make a fortune and become "big money", there are still many people who love to enter humble, cheap and humble teahouses.
Morning in Chengdu Guanyinge Old Teahouse (Tuyuan. com)
However, although the atmosphere of Chengdu Teahouse is casual, making tea is not casual at all. First, a tea set should have three heads: a tea bowl, a tea lid and a tea boat, which is called "covered bowl tea". The three-piece head has many advantages: the tea bowls are large and small, and the volume is moderate, which is convenient for making tea; The tea cover is heat-insulated and breathable, stirring water and separating leaves, which is convenient for drinking tea; The tea boat firmly supports the bottom of the bowl, which is heat-insulated and non-ironing, which is convenient for serving tea. The design of the three heads can be described as well-intentioned. Second, the water to be poured must be just boiled water, and the water is only half full for the first time. This is called "raising leaves". Wait until the dry tea leaves are wet and scattered, and then rush to the second lane. At this time, boiling water is pouring down from the long teapot mouth. Shu Mei's tea turned over under the impact of boiling water, and then sank to the bottom of the lamp. A cup of tea soup is yellow and green, which is very attractive. This is the kungfu and art of Chengdu Teahouse. It can be seen that the teahouse in Chengdu is not without service, but the service is in place without any fake condoms.
Who doesn't like such an enjoyable and casual teahouse?
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However, this is not the whole reason why Chengdu people love to go to teahouses.
I always thought that Chengdu people love to go to teahouses mainly because they can show their "dragon gate array" there. Chengdu people and Beijingers are probably the two most talkative ethnic groups in China. Some people say that as long as they are listless at work, choking, reciting and chatting with each other as soon as they sit down, they must be from Beijing. As for those who love to eat and chat, most of them are from Chengdu, saying that they don't delay eating, eating and chatting, and eating wherever they go. Anyway, both Beijingers and Chengdu people are "talk baskets" that can't live without talking for a day. Interestingly, they all like tea and scented tea. This is not surprising. Tea is absolutely indispensable because of bragging and chatting. Without tea, if you are thirsty, your interest will be greatly reduced and you will even be speechless. With tea, it is very different. Tea can not only quench thirst and produce body fluid, but also strengthen the brain and refresh the mind. After drinking a cup of green tea, your mind will be suddenly enlightened and your tongue will be handy. If you can't finish talking, you will be more eloquent.
Therefore, the teahouses in Beijing and Chengdu are the most famous in China.
Strangely, however, the teahouse in Beijing eventually declined (which made many people who love old Beijing culture feel sad but helpless), while the teahouse in Chengdu flourished for a long time (which made many people who love old Chengdu culture secretly happy but worried). That's why I think, maybe it's because Beijingers and Chengdu people love to talk, but what they say is different from how they say it! Generally speaking, Beijingers talk, Chengdu people show off, Beijingers talk big and Chengdu people gossip.
Kan has three meanings: frankness, harmony and ridicule. The so-called "Kan Kan talks" mean honesty and harmony; The so-called "teasing" is teasing. These three meanings can be found in what Beijingers call "talking about mountains", that is, self-confidence, leisure and humor.
In fact, only knowledgeable, eloquent and witty people are qualified to be "Kanye"; Only those who are strategically located, articulate and full of fun are qualified to be called "Kanshan". This is actually the essence of Beijing. Beijing is the capital, and almost half of the citizens are politicians. A politician should be far-sighted and condescending; Second, be smart and calm; Third, be eloquent and eloquent. If you are condescending, you are justified; If you are calm, you will take your time; Good eloquence, natural humor. With this momentum, self-restraint and level, of course, even mountains can be "talked about", so "talking about mountains" is also called "cutting mountains", which can be said to be a foolish man moving mountains with a hoe; It is the tongue that moves mountains.
Obviously, whether cutting a mountain or talking about it, what matters is the word "big", that is to say, how can "big talk" and "words" be "big"? Of course, the topic should be big first, and the biggest topic is politics.
In fact, the so-called "talking about mountains" in Beijing is mostly centered on politics, but the attitude is mostly a bit ridiculous. For example, the phrase "one billion people talk about 900 million, and 100 million are still developing" best reflects the characteristics of "talking about mountains".
In this case, of course, you don't have to go to the teahouse to say it.
In fact, the gradual disappearance of Beijing teahouses is related to the increasing number of places where Beijing speaks. How many clubs, associations and salons are there in Beijing now? How many reports, lectures and seminars are there? Most of these associations are nicknamed "Kanxie" by Beijingers, so they are naturally good places to talk about mountains. With a little luck, maybe I can be a guest in the studio of CCTV, or an audience who can get a word in. That's much more enjoyable than going to a teahouse, and it's much better than pointing out the mountains and inspiring words in a teahouse.
Besides, these places and occasions are generally equipped with tea, or they can bring their own tea, but Beijingers don't pay so much attention to quality and the way of making tea, so they don't have to go to teahouses. Besides, there are so many religions in the teahouse that there is no guarantee that you will meet someone who can talk.
What's more, Beijingers who are good at talking and like talking have the ability to turn all places into or as teahouses. For example, a taxi driver's teahouse is his car. Tea, he took it with him; Seats are certainly not a problem; The passengers who keep going up and down are his audience and tea drinkers, but they don't serve tea. "Iron tents, flowing soldiers", in this small teahouse, he will never worry about "mountains" to "cut". Where is it necessary to go to the teahouse again?
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Chengdu people are not so easy to mess with. Their "Kan Xie" is always located in the teahouse, and it can only be located in the teahouse. Why?
Because Chengdu people are not "politicians", but "ordinary citizens". Unlike Beijingers, they think that they are "peaceful in the world" and can "prosper the country with one word". What they want to say is "gossip" rather than "big talk", even if world events and national events are only regarded as gossip. Even if gossip is too addictive to go to the table, Chengdu people who love gossip are a little off the table.
Most people in Chengdu, although they are usually eloquent, have faster and sharper mouths than knives and are invincible in quarrelling. However, if they really want him to speak on stage, they are likely to stumble, which is irrelevant. Being a guest in a TV station is even more problematic: in Sichuan, it seems to be "wrong" (which TV station speaks Sichuan dialect); Speaking in Mandarin, it is inevitable to "salt and pepper" (Chengdu people have always been unable to say common words). When others sound uncomfortable, they say it's not smooth. How can they say it casually, freely, happily and happily in the teahouse?
The TV station can't go, and neither can the taxi.
Lin Wenxun, the author of Chengdu People, once compared taxi drivers in Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The conclusion is very interesting: drivers in Beijing like to talk to passengers, drivers in Chengdu like to talk to themselves, and drivers in Guangzhou hardly talk.
Why don't drivers in Guangzhou talk?
I think there may be the following reasons:
First, Guangzhou people don't like talking, unlike Beijing people who are poor, like Chengdu people who are oily;
Secondly, it is difficult for Guangzhou people to speak Mandarin, and there are many foreigners among the passengers, so it is inconvenient to communicate and they are not interested.
Third, Guangzhou is busy with traffic, so drivers must concentrate on driving, and have developed the professional habit of obeying traffic rules and not talking while driving.
But I think the most important thing is that Guangzhou is a city with international business. People living in this city have long been accustomed to dealing with interpersonal relationships according to the principle of contract, and they also know that they must work hard to survive. The contract between the driver and the passenger is to arrive at the destination safely and quickly, not to chat. In addition, gossiping at work violates labor discipline and professionalism. In that case, why say more?
Taxi drivers in Beijing don't have these ideas. They don't want to regard their relationship with passengers as an employment relationship, and they don't want to transport passengers as goods. If you don't say a word all the time, how inhuman is it? Therefore, he would rather regard the car as a teahouse and the passengers as tea friends. "With a deck of cards in his waist, whoever comes will come."
What's more, the citizens of Beijing are all "half politicians". Politicians will naturally not miss the opportunity to "do ideological and political work" or "express political views", even if they don't talk about politics, say something else. You don't have to use your mouth to drive, and it's idle to open your mouth. Say something casually, at least everyone can relieve boredom.
Taxi drivers in Shanghai are generally in between: passengers don't want to talk, he doesn't say a word; Passengers want to say something, he also answers (but generally don't talk about politics). Shanghai is a city with a tradition of excellent service. Talking to passengers at their request is regarded as one of the additional contents of the service, just as customers have to bundle and pack things for them after buying them. The question is whether the passengers have this requirement. If not, drivers in Shanghai will not be speechless.
What is intriguing is the taxi driver in Chengdu.
Taxi drivers in Chengdu don't want to treat passengers as employers or goods like Guangzhou drivers, and they don't want to treat passengers as tea drinkers or buddies like Beijing drivers. He can't hold his breath and can't wait for passengers to respond actively.
So he turned on the walkie-talkie, talked endlessly with his brother and sister, or listened to his brother and sister "open an air teahouse" and "fight a lawsuit", which was equivalent to talking to himself. Few people are willing to chat with passengers. This is not surprising. "Seven officials in front of the Prime Minister", the driver of the land of abundance, who needs to wait on you?
After all, driving is work, not leisure; After all, taxis are tools, not teahouses. Only the teahouse, as Jia Pingwa said, is a state of "forgetting myself" (The Journey to the West). Teahouses in Chengdu, even at the bottom, are somewhat fresh (I suspect it comes from bamboo chairs and clear water tea). Sitting in that teahouse, holding a cup of green tea, listening to the conversation around, full of fragrance, full of clear voice, there is nothing to say without Tan Xing.
In short, only the teahouse is the forum of Chengdu people. Only there can Chengdu people who love to talk and talk like a duck to water fully display their "eloquence" and make the "Dragon Gate Array" magnificent and colorful.