What kind of "car shops" were popular in Northeast China during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China?

Speaking of the "car shop" in the northeast, some people may not know what kind of "shop" this is. Although there is a car in its name, it has nothing to do with the current 4S shop. The "car shop" here is actually the name of a traditional folk hotel in China.

Generally speaking, "car shops" are mainly located near main roads and city gates, providing simple accommodation for passers-by and vendors. Because of its low price, it is deeply loved by tourists. It is named after the cart, which is a common means of transportation for vendors. The following author will introduce this "car shop" to readers.

The layout of "shopping cart" is an ordinary shopping cart. A row of eight principal rooms, with polished tile roofs. However, due to the age, bricks will fall off. There are two windows in front and back of the house, the lower one is inlaid with glass, and the upper one is pasted with Korean paper. Red pepper and Kanto tobacco are hung under the eaves.

The three main rooms on the west side of the coach's shop are usually occupied by the landlord himself. The other rooms are shops, separated in the middle, and each has a stove. In the front yard, there are three rooms in the west, with rollers and a car. There are grain and livestock materials in the cellar, and tools for repairing vehicles are hung on the wall. There is a haystack and a woodpile in the yard. The former is for horses, and the latter is for cooking.

To the south of the backyard are two rows of barns. Looking around, the pillars in the barn have been ground, and the manger eaten by animals has been beaten with some iron sheets because of its worn appearance, which looks not so beautiful, but it is also durable enough. At that time, the people's living standard was not high, and even people had to make up for it for another three years, not to mention this manger. To the north of the backyard is a vegetable garden, separated by a fence made of branches.

At that time, people usually called the driver of the cart "the owner of the cart" or "the handlebar". But don't underestimate these people, driving can be said to be a "technical job" at that time! In those days, they were all "outstanding figures" in rural areas! They drive a carriage or three or four carriages all the year round and are well informed. When they talk to the guests coming and going in big shops, they are also articulate.

The function of "shopping cart"

As the name implies, coach shops serve car owners, but sometimes, in addition to car owners, farmers leave home in the middle of the night, or bring agricultural products to the city to sell, or go to the city to buy, or visit relatives. No matter what they do, after a long journey, they will also rush to the carriage shop at dawn to have a rest, eat something and let the horse have a rest. Eat well and sleep well here, and you can continue on your way the next day.

It is worth mentioning that this coach shop not only facilitates the passing passengers, but also promotes some related businesses. Generally speaking, as long as there are big car shops, there will be small restaurants, theaters, selling forage and other supporting industries. If you go to the distribution center in town, storytellers, singers and even drug sellers will often visit the coach shop, which not only brings income to the boss, but also brings joy to the boss.

Although this coach shop is really not an elegant place, compared with hotels in the city, it is really not high-end, but here, you can feel the deep homesickness and colorful cultural atmosphere from all over the country. It is in this cultural atmosphere that the "Errenzhuan", which is popular all over the country today, was born. This shows that the charm of the cart shop is great.

The historical evolution of "big refreshment" as to when it came into being, the specific time cannot be verified. Inferred roughly in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Of course, there is some truth in this.

As we know, before the Ming Dynasty, the main transportation in Northeast China was basically done by water. For example, in the two military operations to conquer Koguryo in the Tang Dynasty, logistics supply and manpower were done by water. In the Ming Dynasty, in order to strengthen the rule of Northeast China, during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the rulers successively set up post stations in Liaodong, Nurgan and Jianzhou. Of course, these so-called post stations are only used for mailing and transporting military materials. , mainly by way of mules and horses.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, with the development of the besieged city and Changbai Mountain, large wheeled vehicles powered by animal power appeared for transportation. With the progress of the times, in the early years of the Republic of China, rubber-tyred vehicles appeared again. The sudden emergence of folk cart transportation industry has prompted the emergence of "cart shop" to serve car owners.

Among them, Baolongchang, located in Jiutai, Jilin, was a typical representative of many big car shops at that time. After several changes, Baolongchang, which has flourished for more than 70 years, has become a veritable old shop in Northeast China. At the beginning of the 20th century, Baolongchang officially opened. In spring and summer, the business in the store is very prosperous. However, with the development of the times, the coach shop has gradually faded out of our lives. However, looking at the service station on expressway, there is quite a shadow of a coach shop.

Yes, the "car shop" has not been eliminated, but has to be transformed and upgraded with the development of the times. But no matter how the form changes, the culture given by the coach shop continues!