These "old Beijings" are not our old Beijing!

Beside the Shichahai Yinding Bridge

There is an old Beijing snack bar

In front of the billboard, Xiao Fang, a foreign tourist, was a little confused:

"Big belly" , enema, I know all about it,

How to make fried squid, fried chicken wings, and fried durian cake

Are they considered old Beijing snacks? ”

Donghuamen, fresh fish Kou, Dashilan, Shichahai and other scenic spots

I found that "Old Beijing" signs can be seen everywhere

Some of them have nothing to do with Beijing at all

...

Taiwanese grilled sausage is called Old Beijing snack

Meng Lingyue, a well-known local blogger and native Beijinger, has long collected a large number of "Old Beijing" logos Cases of abuse. "During the peak tourist seasons of May and October 2018, I received forty or fifty private messages exposing the abuse of old Beijing logos." Meng Lingyue said that shrimp sticks, fried noodles, American fried chicken, etc. were all labeled with "old Beijing" logos. , which surprised him as a Beijing kid. What impressed him most was the "Old Beijing Instant Noodles" exposed by a netizen.

The feedback from tourists is somewhat different. Yang Yang from the Northeast said: "I want to buy some souvenirs to go home, preferably with the characteristics of old Beijing, but it seems that apart from cloisonné bracelets and old Beijing cloth shoes, Other things are also available in other tourist cities. ”

Fresh fish mouth

The braised stew shop also makes Northeastern stews

There is a store that sells them. The eye-catching menu, under the big "old Beijing snacks", clearly states Goubuli steamed buns, dandan noodles, hot and sour noodles, fish-flavored shredded pork, and Kung Pao chicken, which are representative delicacies from Tianjin, Sichuan and other places. .

Another store is no less generous. In addition to Goubuli steamed buns, they also have the famous northwest region’s oatmeal noodles, oatmeal fish, and shaved noodles. The nearby Menzhang Hutong was once one of the birthplaces of old Beijing snacks. Now there is a restaurant branded as old Beijing snacks that not only sells braised pork, but also Northeastern stews and Sichuan dishes.

Dashilar

"Old Beijing Car Hanging" is unknown

Xianyukou is very close to Dashilar. On the first day of the new year, there are many tourists in Dashilan , various tourist souvenir shops are also doing brisk business. Rabbit, silk figures, Beijing embroidery... you can find many Beijing-specific souvenirs in Dashilan that are both heritage and innovation. However, confusion still exists.

A large series of "Old Beijing Exquisite Car Hangings" hang prominently at the entrance of an old Beijing craft gift shop. They sell for 10 yuan to 30 yuan and are produced in Zhejiang. No matter in terms of craftsmanship or subject matter, these car hangings have nothing to do with "old Beijing".

Shichahai

"Vietnamese cigarettes" replace Beijing vests

Municipal People's Congress representative:

"Old Beijing" should have regulations

p>

Meng Lingyue, a blogger and deputy to the Municipal People's Congress, "Things About Beijing That Beijingers Don't Know" said that old Beijing products that do not live up to their reputation have seriously harmed Beijing's culture, hurt the good memories of Beijingers, and even more so in the hearts of tourists from other places. Discredit Beijing culture.

"The 'Old Beijing Instant Noodles' Weibo post was a photo taken by an enthusiastic netizen. It had millions of views at the time, which shows that everyone is still disgusted with this situation." Meng Lingyue received Netizens’ private messages include a variety of old Beijing products that are not worthy of their name, such as old Beijing dirty buns, old Beijing fried noodles, etc.

Meng Lingyue said: "I think things in old Beijing must not only have history and stories, but also have a certain political knowledge. Only when most Beijingers recognize them can they be called 'old Beijing'." '." He believes that Old Beijing itself is not only a beautiful memory of Beijing, but also represents Beijing's culture. When foreign tourists see the three words "Old Beijing", they think it represents Beijing's culture. "Beijing people not only want to preserve their own I also hope to show the best side of Beijing to foreign tourists. If everything is labeled as 'Old Beijing', it will undoubtedly damage Beijing's image."

Meng Lingyue suggested that the industry, commerce, culture, and tourism departments. Take the lead, organize relevant scholars, experts, and consumers to comment, establish an official "Old Beijing" logo, and standardize its use. First, standardize the scope of application of the category, then standardize the use of the brand, and finally standardize the product, similar to Beijing The evaluation mechanism for time-honored brands regulates the use of the words "Old Beijing". Let the three words "Old Beijing" systematically preserve and inherit Beijing culture, retain the beautiful memories of Beijingers, and let outsiders understand Beijing through "Old Beijing".

Folklore expert:

"Old Beijing" should meet three conditions

Zhu Yi believes that from the current point of view, it should at least be the period of the Republic of China and before the Republic of China. , can be considered "old", the time is too short, and it is not suitable to use the "Old Beijing" logo.

Another very important thing is the uniqueness and cultural connotation. Products such as instant noodles, fried noodles, fried chicken, etc., which exist all over the country, are not suitable to be called "Old Beijing".

However, Zhu Yi was also worried that it would be difficult to formulate unified standards for "Old Beijing", "because folk custom is a living inheritance and it is dynamic. With the development of the times, perhaps in the 20s and 30s Years from now, things from the early days of the founding of New China will be able to compete with 'Old Beijing'." He believes that this requires certain skills in formulating standards, and more guidance and publicity are needed to let more people understand. The connotation of old Beijing.

Zhu Yi took the Quanjude roast duck as an example, "When Quanjude first launched the hanging oven roast duck, compared to Bianyifang's braised oven roast duck, it was a new thing, innovative and pioneering. Today, Quanjude It has developed into a time-honored brand." There are also folk customs with a history of more than 30 years, such as the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, which are also innovative and high-quality products. In a few decades, they will develop into new folk customs.

“The presence of so many ‘Old Beijing’s’ on the streets actually shows that with the improvement of living standards, our people have higher consumer demands. They not only know how to spend money, but also enjoy certain cultural connotations. In order to cater to the demand, merchants launch these "old Beijing" products, which will be very beneficial to the spread of our old Beijing culture if they can be better guided.

”

Picture | Sun Yi

Producer | Wang Yi

Editor | Su Yue, Hong Yuanyuan