Collection of couplets in country hall

Spring couplets, also known as \”spring posts\”, \”door couplets\” and \”couples\”, use neatly contrasting, concise and exquisite words to depict beautiful images and express good wishes. They are a unique literary form in China. It is an important symbol for Chinese people to celebrate the Spring Festival. When people paste Spring Festival couplets and blessings on their doorsteps, it means that the Spring Festival has officially begun.

The custom of posting Spring Festival couplets originated from the ancient \”Peach Talisman\”. \”Dian Shu\” says: \”Peach is the essence of the five trees, so it suppresses evil spirits.\” By the Five Dynasties, Meng Chang, the monarch of Later Shu, was elegant and good at literature. He ordered people to inscribe peach charms every year, which became the origin of spring couplets for later generations. The inscription on the peach charms \”New Year\’s greetings and joyful festivals, Changchun\” became the first \”Spring Festival couplets\” recorded in Chinese history. Later, with the advent of papermaking, the custom of posting Spring Festival couplets using red paper instead of peach wood appeared.

Every Spring Festival, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household must choose beautiful red Spring Festival couplets and paste them on the door to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, adding to the festive atmosphere. Another source of Spring Festival couplets is spring stickers. The ancients often posted the word \”Yichun\” on the Beginning of Spring. Later, they gradually developed into Spring Festival couplets, which express the Chinese working people\’s good wishes to ward off evil spirits, eliminate disasters, and welcome good fortune. This custom became popular in the Ming Dynasty. After entering the Qing Dynasty, during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang dynasties, couplets flourished just like the rhythmic poetry of the Tang Dynasty, and many well-known famous couplets appeared. With the development of cultural exchanges between countries, couplets were introduced to Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, Singapore and other countries. These countries still retain the custom of posting couplets.

About the couplets, there is also an unofficial story, which cannot be distinguished between true and false. It is said that at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius led his disciples to travel around the world to promote his teachings, and was besieged by the Chen and Cai people for seven days and seven nights. They had finished eating the dry food they had brought and were so hungry that they felt dizzy. At this time, Confucius called his eloquent disciple Zigong to him and asked him to borrow food from a man named Fan Dan.

What does Fan Dan do? It turns out that he is the leader of the beggars in the world, known as the Ancestor Fan Dan. Zigong found Patriarch Fan Dan and explained his purpose. Fan Dan thought: People say that Confucius and his disciples are very knowledgeable. I might as well give it a try. He said to Zigong: \”I will ask you a question. If you can answer it, I will lend you food; if you cannot answer it, you will go back empty-handed.\” After hearing this, Zigong thought: I am a disciple of Confucius.He is knowledgeable, proficient in etiquette, and famous throughout the country. How can he be stumped by beggars? He nodded in agreement. Fan Dan smiled and said: \”Good or bad are like annoying. If you say one sentence and include these seven words, it will express the same meaning without violating common sense.\”

Zi Gong was dumbfounded after hearing this. , stammered for a long time before saying: \”There are many stars in the sky, but there are few moons…\” Fan Dan listened without hesitation, and waved his hand, asking him to ask the teacher before he could answer. Leng Changwo tested, and the two sons Gong came back to see Confucius and recounted the questions raised by Fan Dan. Confucius said: \”What\’s the difficulty in playing with words? Go and tell him: There are many good people in the world and few bad people. When you borrow it, you will like it and then you will be annoyed.\”

Fan Dan received a satisfactory answer and agreed to borrow the grain. . He asked his men to take out a sum of rice and give it to Zigong. When Zigong saw that he only lent such a small amount of rice, he wanted to ask, but he was afraid of making a fool of himself again, so he had to go back with the pen cap in hand.

Confucius and his disciples were so hungry that they boiled a large pot of water and waited for Zigong to come back to borrow food. Zigong poured all the rice from his pen cap into the pot and cooked a large pot of white rice, which he could not finish.

Three days later, Chen and Cai let Confucius go. At this time, Fan Dan sent someone a note, which said: \”It\’s easy to borrow and return, and it\’s not difficult to borrow again. I\’ll give you a lot of rice in return.\” Confucius hurriedly asked his disciples to buy rice and put it in the cap of the pen. Thirty stone meters later, the cap of the pen still looks empty. Confucius saw that it was difficult to repay the rice debt, and he was eager to go to other countries to lobby, so he thought of a way and asked someone to go back and tell Patriarch Fan Dan that the rice debt could not be paid off for a while, and it was left to future generations to pay off slowly. From now on, all households with couplets on their doors are Confucian disciples. If you want food, you can go and ask for rice. Afterwards, Confucius told all Confucian disciples in the world to post couplets on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month every year. If someone comes to ask for food, you should not refuse him rudely, but do your best to give alms. This matter slowly formed a rule. During the Chinese New Year, ordinary people also wanted to seek good luck and posted couplets.

The couplets are not just random numbers, they are very particular.

1. Upper and lower couplets

Divided from level and oblique, the last character of the upper line is oblique tone, and the last character of the second line is flat tone.

2. Paste Horizontal writing

The ancients wrote in order from right to left.Nowadays, many Hengbi people no longer write according to the past way, and some also write from left to right. Therefore, the main thing is to look at Henglian. Looking from the direction facing the door: If it is formal, it should be written according to the ancient way! That is, write from right to left!

3. Upper and lower couplets

The most traditional way of pasting the couplets is on the right side facing the door and the lower couplet on the left hand side.

This year, the country calls for celebrating the New Year on the spot. It is quite amusing to think of the popular couplets in the countryside. I should copy the official reply to amuse myself. I couldn\’t bear to keep it a secret, so I posted it online.

Said:

The lotus on the throne surpasses the June scenery of the West Lake,

The willow in the bottle brings a spring branch from the South China Sea.

The accompanying painting is Guanyin Bodhisattva.

The picture of green pines and white cranes says:

The green pines are evergreen and the east wind is warm,

The white cranes are affectionate The mood of spring is strong.

The picture of the mountain tiger says:

The long roar shakes the sky and relieves the ambition,

The galloping volume The earth rises in glory.

The landscape picture says:

The mountains are high and the water is long,

The sea and the sky are broad.

The carol picture says:

In the prosperous age of the country, Tai\’an brings blessings and longevity,

Muxinfeng people work hard to bring happiness and wealth.