Our reporter Zou Yating
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At the National Museum of China's "Ancient Chinese Food Culture Exhibition", rich and diverse cultural relics, detailed exhibition boards, and interesting interactive experiences allow the audience to learn a lot of knowledge related to food and taste the Chinese taste of "people take food as the sky".
The ancient Chinese food culture is long and heavy. It not only includes exquisite eating utensils, self-contained cooking skills, and a vast system of classics, but also nurtures and derives a series of philosophical concepts, political wisdom and scientific ideas that affect the development of Chinese civilization. At the same time, it also provides an inexhaustible source for many literary and artistic creations such as traditional music, dance, painting, sculpture, and poetry.
The exhibition is divided into 5 units, "Eat from all directions", "Tea rhythm and wine fragrance", "Langlang beautiful utensils", "Dingzhong change" and "Ritual beginning food". From different perspectives such as, skills, etiquette, etc., it comprehensively displays the development and changes of ancient Chinese food culture, vividly presents the life picture of ancient working people full of fireworks, and expresses the Chinese nation's longing and pursuit for a well-fed and well-fed life.
In the "Eat from all directions" unit, the carbonized rice from the Liangzhu Culture period and the carbonized wheat grains from the Spring and Autumn Period show the Chinese people's grain-based dietary tradition, and the lifelike animal pottery figurines tell the story of "six animals and three animals". Ming Dynasty pottery offering plates with chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits and cakes reflect the diverse dietary structure of the ancients.
In the unit of "Tea Charm and Wine Fragrance", the tea sets and wine vessels of past dynasties reflect the changes of tea culture and wine culture.
The ear cup, also known as the feather cup, is a kind of wine container in ancient China. It has an oval shape, a shallow belly, a flat bottom, and half-moon-shaped ears on both sides, like the wings of a bird.
In the exhibition hall, the scene of "Qushui Liuyuan" reproduces the grand occasion of the elegant gathering of the ancients.
When the ancient literati were drinking, there was a gurgling water in front of them, and the wine glass drifted down along the water. Whoever floated in front of them would drink it up and sing poetry.
Ordering tea was a very popular cultural activity among the literati and doctors in the Song Dynasty, reflecting the refined and elegant life aesthetics of the Song people.
The video played in the exhibition hall introduces the complete process of tea ordering in the Song Dynasty. The exhibits such as black glazed rabbit cups are reminiscent of the wonderful scenes of Song people fighting tea.
"Food with beauty" is the embodiment of Chinese traditional aesthetic concept in food culture.
The "Linlang Beautiful Ware" unit is divided into 5 groups: "Simple pottery", "Bronze majesty", "Luxurious lacquer wood", "Porcelain charm" and "Elegance of gold and jade". importance.
An ornate set of painted gourd cutlery boxes in vermilion patent leather is particularly eye-catching.
As early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there was a cutlery box in which cutlery was placed in one container.
This set of leather cutlery boxes is a Qing Dynasty utensil. The whole body is painted with red lacquer. It includes large plates, small plates, bowls of different sizes, round plates, begonia flower mouth plates, wine glasses, rice spoons, etc. Peonies, peach blossoms, plum blossoms, camellias, lotus flowers are beautiful.
The exhibition also features a number of interactive projects. The audience can try to make pasta with molds, and they can also experience the living habit of the ancients eating on the ground.
The curator expressed the hope that through the content that is good-looking, fun, and experienceable, the audience can experience the breadth and depth of ancient Chinese food culture, and perceive the life interest of the Chinese nation through ancient and modern times.