Guyu is the last festival of spring, derived from the ancient saying that "rain is born of a hundred valleys". At this time, the cold wave weather is basically over, the temperature rises, and the rainfall increases, which is the best time to sow seedlings and move seedlings and dot beans. Folk have customs such as drinking valley rain tea, sticking valley rain paintings, walking valley rain, and admiring peonies.
"Qingming to see the buds, valley rain to see tea", the valley rainy season climate is warm and humid, small buds can quickly grow into fresh leaves, is a good time to pick tea and make tea.
Guyu tea is also the tea before the rain, also known as erchun tea. The tea picked before the valley rain is the most fragrant, and tasting new tea is an important custom of the valley rain festival. After the moisture of rain and dew, the tea buds are fat, emerald green, soft and nutritious, and they are mellow and fragrant to drink, and they can also clear the fire.
Image source: Figureworm Creative
The real Guyu tea is a dry tea made of fresh tea leaves picked by Guyu that morning, which are kept by tea farmers to drink at home or used to entertain distinguished guests, who will specifically say when making tea for guests: "This is the tea made on the day of Guyu." "The implication is that offering Guyu tea is a gift for distinguished guests. Therefore, people who love tea and understand tea often treasure the tea picked by Gu Yu.
The poem is written about plum blossom moon, tea fry valley rain spring. The literati are well versed in the tea picking method of "Qingming is too early, summer is too late, and the valley rain is just in time", and they are happy to "try new tea in Yangchun and March", and even regard this as a great joy in life. On the day of the valley rain, no matter what the weather is, you have to make a new cup of tea to taste slowly. As Zheng Banqiao described: "No wind, no rain, no sunshine, cuizhu pavilion is good festival." Favorite late cool guests, a pot of new tea bubble pineapple. A few new leaves xiao xiao bamboo, a few strokes across the pale mountain. Just in the qingming valley rain, a cup of fragrant tea sits in the middle."
Image source: pixabay
After the valley rain, the weather became hot, and many dormant poisonous insects were revived, which are the "five poisons" that the people fear. In the past, medical conditions were not developed, these pests often threaten people's lives, in order to ensure reproduction, people will post valley rain stickers to drive away evil spirits and eliminate disasters and avoid poisonous insects during the valley rainy season. This custom is very popular in Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi. Folk people even worship the chickens that are good at eating the five poisons as "Gu Yu General", and paint chickens and spells in one picture to ensure the safety and health of the family.
"General Gu Yu" Shanxi Linfen Qing Dynasty version
Gu Yu Sticker is a New Year painting posted during the valley rain, which belongs to a kind of seasonal painting, and the theme of the picture mainly includes blessing a good harvest, warding off evil spirits, eliminating poison and eliminating plague, etc., which is a concentrated embodiment of the people's sense of life, reflecting the desire for peace and happiness. A painting of Gu Yu in Linfen, Shanxi Province, personifies General Gu Yu, painting a shy-bellied general with a forked waist in one hand and a sword in the other, and the sword tip is slashing at a poisonous scorpion, which means that when Gu Yu surrenders five poisons to protect the health of his family.
"DaJi Dali" Shaanxi Fengxiang Qing Dynasty edition
"Gu Yu Three Dynasties Look at Peonies", before and after the Valley Rain is an important time for peony blossoms, therefore, peony flowers are also known as "Valley Rain Flowers". The upper left and bottom of the Shaanxi Guyu sticker are painted with peonies, in which a red-crowned rooster pecks a poisonous scorpion in the beak, and in the upper right there is a spell that reads: "Gu Yu Day, Gu Yu Chen, play please Gu Yu General." Three lamps of tea, four statues of wine, and send scorpions thousands of miles into dust. Because the peony has the meaning of wealth, the chicken is also pronounced "auspicious", and the two are painted in a picture to take the rich and auspicious Ruiyi.
In ancient times, there was also the custom of walking in the valley rain, people went out on the day of the valley rain, and it was said that it had the effect of strengthening the body and eliminating the disease.
At the turn of spring and summer, the group has arrived, may wish to emulate the ancients, blend with nature, nourish the body and mind, and enter the summer healthily.
Planner: Zhile
Design: Small drop
Edit: Zhile
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