How the ancients spent the winter
The way the ancients spent the winter was as follows:
Before the Song Dynasty, there were no quilts. How did the ancients survive the cold winter of dozens of degrees below zero? Before the Northern Song Dynasty, people did not widely cultivate cotton, and they did not have cotton-padded clothes or quilts to keep them warm in the cold winter. How did the ancients survive in the severe cold?
In fact, the ancient methods of wintering are still used in many rural areas today. In today's society, although heating and thermal insulation conditions have been very developed, a large number of poor people around the world still die due to extreme weather.
Under the aura of modern civilization, there is still a cruel side hidden. Imagine how difficult the winter life of ordinary people must have been in ancient times under conditions of extremely backward technology and productivity!
1. The wealthy class can buy soft and comfortable silk and brocade, or expensive mink and fox fur coats to keep out the cold.
For the vast majority of ordinary people, their clothes are made of rough linen or grass cloth, and they have to stuff hay and other sundries into their clothes to keep warm.
Du Fu lived in the Tang Dynasty. In one of his poems, he wrote that the shabby linen quilt at home had become as cold as iron. If he slept with naughty children, the quilt would be easily broken by kicks. This fully reflects the miserable state of clothing and quilts of ordinary people at that time.
Slightly wealthier families can only use wool to knit some warm clothing, while for those who are impoverished, all they can do is wrap themselves in thick animal skins and endure the biting cold Invasion.
In order to survive, these people had to reduce their activities. They tried to bask in the sun during the day and cuddled closely together for warmth at night. A few hungry and cold people cuddled under the tattered animal skins, maybe they could get a little Warmth, but it is difficult to dispel the despair in my heart.
In terms of heating, the ancients mainly relied on burning firewood and a small amount of coal to increase the indoor temperature. However, the demand for firewood fuel was large, and in ancient times there were strict laws to protect forest resources and they could not be cut down at will, so ordinary people mostly passed Collect dry firewood to make ends meet.
As the poet Bai Juyi once wrote, even people who sell charcoal for a living are not willing to burn firewood for warmth. They can only hope that the weather will get colder and colder so that they can earn some hard money.
2. The ancients also designed various stoves, fireplaces, kangs and other structures to better keep warm.
In the Song Dynasty after the Tang Dynasty, the thermal insulation conditions have improved, with hot water and quilts, but for most ordinary people, winter is still extremely difficult, and they still have to reduce their activities and try their best to Maybe get some extra sun and cuddle up against each other for warmth at night.
In addition, when building a house, orientations such as north and south will also be considered to take advantage of sunlight for heating. The ancients’ observation and application of the living environment are admirable.
However, although the ancients tried every means to keep warm, a large number of poor people still froze to death and starved to death in the long and cold winter. This fully demonstrates the importance of energy to people's survival. The "firewood" in "firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea" is ranked first, which reflects this. Nowadays, we live in modern cities and have become accustomed to modern heating and air conditioning measures.
However, we must not forget how the ancients survived in harsh environments. At the same time, in this wonderful present, we must pay more attention to those people who are still living in difficult circumstances.
They are still struggling to survive in severe cold and heat like the ancients. We should extend the benefits of civilization more to people in need, so that warmth is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for everyone. The necessities of life that can be enjoyed. This is not only a tribute to the wisdom of the ancients, but also an expectation for a better future.