The history of Kaifeng night market

In the Zhou Dynasty, there were vendors selling vegetables after sunset, but there was no large-scale food night market. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, there was a night market in Chang 'an (Jin 'an), but it was soon banned by the imperial edict of "Xuanban", because the Tang government stipulated that the city, squares and gates must be closed at sunset, and night activities were generally prohibited in the city, even the burning of candles and lights was restricted. If you violate it, you will be punished. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng became the capital of the Song Dynasty, with developed economy and industry, which broke the boundary between the square and the history. There were many shops all over the country, forming more than 20 commercial food markets of different sizes, and even the food market outside the Donghuamen Gate of the Imperial Palace was the "most prosperous". On April 13th, the third year of Gande (AD 965), Song Taizu issued an imperial edict to Kaifeng House: "The night market from Jingzhong to Sangu has arrived and shall not be banned." Since then, gourmet night markets have not only appeared in large numbers, but also flourished. "Tokyo Dream" records: "The night market didn't reopen until after midnight. If you want to make trouble, you will be familiar. " "Although it is snowy and rainy in winter, there is also a night market." This is a true portrayal of Tokyo night market at that time.

Tokyo at that time had become an unprecedented city that never sleeps in the world. There are many night markets, and there is a saying that "there are more shops than night markets". The famous night markets are: Qiao Zhou Night Market, Xingjie Ma Night Market, Fanloumenqian Night Market, Zhuquemenwai Street Night Market, Panlou Hotel Summer Night Market, Tushizi East Street Night Market, etc. Among them, the State Bridge Night Market crosses Imperial Road, facing the river, and is located at the intersection of land and water in Tokyo. Coupled with the spectacular State Bridge and the towering Yue Ming Tower, the scenery here is picturesque, tourists are woven, and there are more poems and songs of literati chanting wine. Su Dongpo, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, once wrote a poem, "Golden Dragon looks at the night market, with bright lights ... I wonder if the capital is noisy, so it is called the hometown of rivers and lakes." At that time, the largest and most prosperous night market in Tokyo was Xingjie Ma Night Market. Xingjie Ma is the seat of the Imperial Palace, and many people from the capital, whether public or private, come in and out here, so the night market is full of knowledge even in snowstorms and rainy days, and its lights and lampblack make it difficult for gnats to stop. Cai Yong, a poet in the Song Dynasty, recorded in "Talk about Tiewei Mountain": "There are bitter gnats in the world, and only Xingjie Ma has no bitter gnats. Xingjie Ma is the night market in the capital, and the restaurant is very prosperous. " "Dream of China in Tokyo" praised it as "100 times more prosperous than Qiao Zhou Night Market", and it was so lively that Xingjie Ma could not be stopped. From this point of view, the scene of Tokyo night market is really spectacular. At that time, even in the corner of the back alley, even on rainy and snowy nights, the lights were shining brightly, and the rhyming cries of vendors could be clearly heard.