When the team brought the bride in her sedan chair back to the bridegroom "s family, she also faced a shut gate, which was said to be a lesson to teach the woman to be humble and obedient. After much pounding on the door, the sedan chair was carried into the courtyard. But the bride would have to walk or be carried over a basin of fire as another way of gaining blessings. The relatives of the bride were then invited to the banquet.
Paying tribute to ancestors
After the bride and bridegroom did obeisance to H eaven and Earth, their parents and each other, they m ust pay homage to the ancestors. To become a formal member of the family, the bride also needed approval of her husband"s ancestors.
Initial engagement
When both families found the proposed marriage acceptable, the young man"s family would send the young woman"s family small gifts as the initial engagement. There were no fixed rules in the gifts. Most families would put golden bracelets, rings, ruyi (a wand shaped like "s" to mean fulfilling one"s wishes) and other small jewelry into two boxes. Another two boxes would contain fine cloth and outfits.
Choosing the wedding day
The engagement day was seldom set in the last lunar month and the wedding day was rarely fixed in the first lunar month. And the number "8" is seen as the best date.
Sending the dowry
The bride"s family would send the dowry to her future husband"s home one or two days before the wedding.
Etiquettes
Formal engagement
Once the wedding date was settled, the formal engagement would be carried out in a grand ceremony. The so-called "dragon-phoenix folded cards", which served like marriage certificates, were exchanged between the two families. In addition, four boxes of more valuable betrothal gifts were sent to the bride"s home. After this ceremony, either side normally would not break the vow.
The bride returns home
On the third or the fourth day after the wedding, the bride was allowed to return to her own family. Her husband accompanied her, but they had to go back to his home to spend the night.
Hutong lanes, siheyuan courtyards, old city walls
Labyrinth of hutong lanes
There was an old saying that goes: There are 3,600 hutong lanes with names, but the anonymous lanes are more than the hairs of a cow. By the end of the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century, Beijing had some 600 hutong lanes. The number increased to 978 in the Qing Dynasty and 1,330 in the mid-19th century. There are still 459 lanes with names in Beijing. Like Peking Opera and the Beijing dialect, hutong is full of Beijing flavor and the fountainhead of many folk tales and customs. According to the Book of Rites compiled in the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,500 years ago, a city should be square in shape and had three gates on each side that measured 9 li (4.5 km). Inside, nine streets broad enough for nine chariots to ride alongside should be constructed from north to south and from east to west. The crisscrossing lanes of central Beijing have developed from Yuan Dynasty about 900 years ago. The Mongolian rulers of Yuan Dynasty designed residential areas and governmental offices into square zones. Rows of houses were built inside each zone, which was locked at night. When developing economy made it unnecessary to lock the zones any more, the walls were torn down and the narrow lanes among the rows of houses became hutong . To ensure longest possible sunshine and evade the chilling northern wind, most houses in hutong face the south and have side rooms on east and west sides of the main room. The making of the hutong lanes signified the real formation of Beijing.
Name of hutong
Dao, lu, jie, xiang, hutong have been traditional terms for streets, paths, alleys and lanes. The names of Beijing"s hutong are very interesting and come from different historical background. They reflect the city"s long history and rich cultural heritage.
Named after landmarks or historical ruins
Gongyuan Toutiao (1st Lane) and Ertiao (2nd Lane) at Jianguomen Inner Street were named after Gongyuan, the site for scholars to take the imperial examination to choose civil officials in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Guozijian Road of Andingmen Inner Street is named after Guozijian, or Imperial College, which was the highest educational administration in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Dongdan and Xidan were named as they were located to the east or west of the ornamental archways that were built in odd number (dan in Chinese). As for Dongsi and Xisi, they gained the name because of four archways between them.
Named after celebrities
Such places abound in number. Wenchengxiang H u t o n g i s n a m e d a f t e r We n T i a n x i a n g (1236-1283), a prime minister (chengxiang ) who died defending the Song Dynasty. Sanbulao H u t o n g r e f e r s t o Z h e n g H e ( 1 3 7 1 - 1 4 3 3 ) , who commanded the royal fleet to sail across Southeast Asia and reached Africa in seven expeditions. Zhaodengyu Street and Tonglinge Street commemorate Generals Zhao Dengyu (1898-1937) and Tong Linge (1892-1937) who died defending Beijing against Japanese assaults a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e Wa r o f R e s i s t a n c e Against Japanese Invasion (1937-1945).
Named after scenic spots
Beijing people are fond of beautiful scenery, which is reflected in the apt names such as Liuyin (Willow Shade) Street, Shibei (Stone S t e l e ) H u t o n g , J i n y u c h i ( G o l d F i s h P o n d ) , Jintaili (Inside the Golden Platform) and Baihua (Hundred Flowers) Hutong where many flowers were planted.
Named after businesses
Such places reflect the businesses that once thrived in the area. In Dongcheng District, there are the Guozi Alley for the fruit business and Dengshikou where lanterns were once sold and displayed in the Spring Festival. In Chongwen District, Huashi, Ciqikou and Xianyukou are n a m e d f o r f l o w e r, c e r a m i c s a n d f r e s h f i s h . I n X u a n w u D i s t r i c t , C a i s h i k o u , N i u j i e a n d Luomashi are so named because of the fairs on vegetable, beef, horse and mule.
Best-known hutong lanes in Beijing
Narrowest hutong: