There is an old folk saying, "The wife and children are hot on the kang", which describes the happy living situation of a person's family. But for many southern friends, the thing "kang" is still relatively unfamiliar, and most of them have only seen one or two in Northeast period dramas.
What exactly is a kang?
In the final analysis, it is a platform made of bricks, billets, etc., and most of them are used in the north. This kind of thing was invented by the Han people in the mainland, and its origin is very long, which can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty, and traces of fire kang have been found in the East Black Mountain site in Baoding City.
When the material conditions were relatively scarce and the level of urban construction technology was still average, for example, in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, there were not too many buildings, and most of the people in the countryside lived in mud houses and grass houses, and the fire kang also became an indispensable part of people's lives.
A house is divided into two parts, the outside is used as a kitchen, and the inside is a kang. The principle of their operation is also very simple, connect the kang with the stove in the outhouse, and the smoke produced can shuttle back and forth along the kang hole of the fire, and the kang will have a temperature.
An ordinary fire kang has three components, namely a stove, a kang body and a chimney. Different regions are accustomed to using different kang arrangements, some face south and some face north, and some are made into a concave kang around the room, so it can be said that for the convenience of life, people show great creativity in the construction of the kang.
The ondol in the northeast is very wide, generally about 1.7~2.3 meters wide, and the activity area is very wide. There are straight holes in the kang body, there are horizontal holes, and there are some flowers...... As a result, the construction skills and life interests of the Northeast people are vividly displayed.
What is the kang used for?
"Southerners practice beds, northerners practice kang", kang, is it used to make a fire or sleep? Many people have such doubts in their hearts. In fact, its role in daily life is old, equivalent to an important part of a Northeast family.
The kang is the "warm bed" of the Northeast people, although the kang is gradually replaced by the bed in the city now, but the kang actually appeared earlier than the bed. In the winter in the north of the continent, the water drips into ice, and the temperature is often below zero, and it is difficult for the bed in the south alone to resist these low temperatures, so people invented the "bed" with temperature.
Counting nine cold winters, laying out the futon and sleeping on the warm board, even if there is rheumatism, I feel relieved. It is very interesting that outsiders are not as angry as northerners, and if they sleep on the kang for the first time, they are likely to have nosebleeds.
Kang, "Shuowen" is interpreted as "dry also", and "Erya" is interpreted as "exposed". From the original meaning, the kang actually means drying, which also reveals another function of the Northeast Kang - burning fire for heating. If someone says that you don't have to worry about the clothes that are not dry, put them on the "kang" and "kang" by the fire, in fact, it is to let you bake it.
When firewood and coal are thrown in, a large amount of heat can be emitted from the earthen kang and the whole room will be filled with warmth. When there is no heating, this method of burning kang is undoubtedly economical and practical. While reducing costs, you can also save money, and the winter will not seem long.
What are the peculiar kang customs?
Many people think that it will be more embarrassing for three generations of grandparents to sleep on the same kang, and it will definitely be inconvenient for the young couple. In the last century, this situation did often occur in the rural areas of Northeast China, but it was like a dozen people sleeping in a large bunk in the south, which was really a helpless move.
When the material living standard of the society is generally low, it is very good for the family to be fed and clothed, not to mention what good houses to live in. If the family can only afford to build two houses, isn't it only the big guys who can squeeze on one kang?
At this time, the kang in the home will be built extraordinarily long, otherwise the sleeping space will appear narrow. However, with the progress of society and the increase of income, people who have some money will build more rooms, and sometimes share a kang, which is equivalent to more than one kang.
The South Kang and the North Kang are not where they want to sit, and under normal circumstances, the older generation gives priority to living in the South Kang. This is because the location of Namkang is to the south of the house, which is not only sunny but also has superior lighting, and is also good for the health of the elderly. The north kang is in the direction of the back sun, and this is the territory of young people.
"North and South Kang, head to head. Happy during the day, sad at night. The first part of this slip is about a special habit of Northeast people when they sleep, that is, their heads should be turned outward. When the people in the south and north kang sleep with their heads facing outward, it creates a strange scene of two kangs sleeping opposite their heads.
Speaking of this, there is also a private matter, there is such a little distance between the south kang and the north kang, what should the young couple do when they want to carry out some activities? This is also the "sorrow" of the second part of the slip of the tongue. So people invented such a thing as a curtain and hung it with a bamboo pole.
At night, the north and south kang put down the curtains, and the room was divided into two parts by two curtains. The little couple is making love on one side, the old couple sleeps sweetly, and the little dolls occasionally "hang out" here and there, and they don't disturb each other.
The commonly known "kang head", that is, the side of the kang connected to the stove, is relatively close to the fire source but is not directly heated. It is also a display of family status, and generally only the elderly who are older or have distinguished guests come to the house can sit on the kang.
In the rural areas of Northeast China, the whole family eats on the kang, and only one kang table is needed to provide three meals a day. The older ones sit in the innermost position, while the hostess and juniors are on the edge of the kang, which is convenient for them to serve food and pass food to everyone.
Every day after school, when the children come home from school, if there is a visitor to the house, they will rush to the kang to play or do their homework. Usually, women cook noodles or something, and they also use the heat of the kang. In winter, when the weather gets colder, the old people lean on the kang and fall asleep, and the warmth under them is very intimate.
On the kang, a "tobacco basket" made of thin wicker, hemp rope or paper pulp is often placed on the kang to put tobacco leaves and cigarette paper. Friends and relatives come to the house, push the cigarette basket, light a cigarette and talk about interesting things from all over the world, swallowing clouds and spitting fog to show the simplicity of life.
Si is a burrow, but Wu Dexin. For the people of Northeast China, kang is not only an ordinary heating tool, but also one of the symbols of the meaning of "home". As long as there is a kang, this home will always maintain warmth, happiness and harmony.
"A hundred miles of different winds, thousands of miles of different customs", a province may be able to breed more than a dozen different dialects, not to mention local traditional customs. "Kang culture" is more like an imprint with humanistic feelings, engraved in the memory of every Northeast person. Thank you for reading.