Why do poets and poets like to visit these Shanghai restaurants in the first half of the 20th century

Every human living space carries history and memories, full of experience and meaning. Intentionally visiting a place is not just about looking at its surface, but often reminds people who have come here and what has happened. A place is a foothold for memories.

"Searching around the sparse forest"

In the first half of the 20th century, there were numerous Ci societies on the beach in Shanghai, with the most active being the Chongyin Ci Society. The society was convened by Zhu Zumou, who was known as the "palace army of countless poets from the Tang and Song dynasties to modern times", and gathered people such as Kuang Zhouyi, Wang Yunzhang, Xu Ke, and Pang Shubai. Although these lyricists are in the bustling city, surrounded by lights and wine, their social gathering activities are all places full of classical cultural charm, such as Gu Yuxuan, Xu Yuan, Yu Yuan, Kunshan Liu Longzhou Tomb, Suzhou Tianping Mountain, and so on.

Gu Yuxuan——

Gu Yuxuan is the birthplace of Chongyin Ci Society. Words, from their emergence to development, are closely related to banquets. The banquet life of the Song Dynasty had a significant impact on the formation of the main style of poetry. Banquets were once an important place for traditional literati to live, entertain, and showcase their talents and skills. Afterwards, it gradually became an important basis for literati to discuss poetry and poetry. It is natural and natural for Chongyin Ci Society to initiate Ci Society at a banquet in such a restaurant.

In the spring of 1915, members of the Chongyin Ci Society gathered at Gu Yuxuan to discuss the content and topics of the society's collection. Zhu Zumou proposed using cherry blossoms as the theme and limiting the book "Flower Offender", which was praised as good by everyone.

In addition to the Chongyin Ci Society, many other literary societies during this period also had their roots in restaurants and banquets. For example, the "One Yuan Festival" initiated by the elderly residents of Yuhu has emerged in the other Tianfanzhuang.

Gu Yuxuan, whose name suggests elegance, was a well-known Sichuan restaurant on the beach of Shanghai at that time. At first, there were only three types of restaurants in Shanghai: Su Guan, Ning Guan, and Hui Guan, followed by Jing Guan, Yue Guan, Nanjing Guan, and Yangzhou Guan. Sichuan restaurants are a rising star.

Xu Ke introduced in "Ke Yan" that "the Shu and Min restaurants in Shanghai rise one after another, and the inherent Beijing, Tianjin, Guangdong, Ningbo, Yang, and Zhen restaurants are reduced in color. Huizhou cuisine is even more neglected." According to "Folk Shanghai", Sichuan cuisine originates from the "land of abundance" of Bashu, and its main flavor is the rich seasoning, enjoying the reputation of "a hundred dishes and a hundred flavors". Its characteristics are not only spicy, but also "seven flavors" and "eight flavors". "Famous restaurants first include Sichuan restaurants such as Gu Yu Xuan, Du Yi Chu, Ju Feng Yuan, and Shu Yu Restaurant. There are currently two Sichuan restaurants: Sichuan Restaurant and Xiao Sichuan Restaurant."

Not only did the Chongyin Ci Society start in Guyuxuan, but many literati's social activities were also frequently conducted here at that time. Zhang Yuanji mentioned Gu Yuxuan several times in his diary. For example, in the 1918 article "socializing", it was recorded that "Yuan Bokui and Xia Jiancheng arranged for Gu Yuxuan to have a meal at noon", "Xu Jiyu arranged for Gu Yuxuan to have a meal at noon", "Zhang Xingyan, Zhang Rongxi, Gu Jiufeng, Ding Foyan, and Tan Dawu arranged for Gu Yuxuan to have a meal at noon".

In addition, the Annals of Chen Fangke mention that in November 1916, Chen Fangke "accompanied the scattered elderly to Shanghai", and Li Ruiqing, Li Bake, Xia Jingguan, Zhu Guwei, Yu Mingyi, and others received him at Guyuxuan. Chen Sanli wrote a poem titled "Gathering Guests in the Ancient Yuxuan Gu Cuisine Oxtail", which goes: "The old glutton is a city resident, flowing foam on a dangerous building.". A sip of ox tail soup, according to the banquet, the king. Qingxu flipped through the deep cup, writing drunkenness on the walls. Each has a sad line, owing the flag pavilion to sing.

Chen Sanli, with the courtesy name Boyan and the courtesy name Sanyuan, was born in Yining, Jiangxi. He was the son of Chen Baozhen, the governor of Hunan and one of the "Four Gentlemen of the Reform". After the Lugou Bridge Incident in 1937, he went on a five-day hunger strike and died, with works such as "Poems from Sanyuan Jingshe". Liang Qichao praised his poem: "Without the use of new and unconventional language, the realm is naturally different from the times, rich and profound, handsome and subtle. I call it rare and unparalleled among the Tang and Song dynasties."

Xuyuan——

Xuyuan is a private garden, officially named Shuangqing Villa, built by Xu Dishan, a merchant of Haining, in the mid Qing Dynasty. At present, it can be confirmed that the second, third, and fourth collective activities of Chongyin Ci Society will be held in Xuyuan.

According to the Shanghai Dictionary of Cultural Origins, the former site of Xuyuan was originally located in the Tang Dynasty. In 1899, the sons of the Xu family, Xu Guanyun and Xu Lingyun, searched for another site to rebuild the Kangnao Tuo Road, which was completed in 1909. Kangnao Tuoluo is a cross-border road construction that no one can control. This leads to a relatively chaotic social order in this section, but also creates a relatively free regional atmosphere.

At Xuyuan on Kangnao Tuo Road, the famous Nanshe also often gathers here. Unfortunately, it was burned down during the "August 13" war, and the site of the park was once used as the site of the Daming Paper Mill and Huade Light Bulb Factory.

Xuyuan is the place where the Chongyin Ci Society has the most activities. It not only has a Kunqu Opera study center, but also 12 scenic spots such as the Caotang Spring Banquet, the Jilou Listening to Rain, and the Quxie Watching Fish, fully embodying the charm of classical gardens in Jiangnan. The water absorbers and sprinklers in the garden also incorporate the style of Western architecture, adding some traces of the times compared to traditional gardens.

Yuyuan——

Yuyuan is a famous garden in Shanghai, located northeast of Jing'an Temple. Its predecessor was Xiyuan, and later it was renamed Yuyuan due to the purchase of pavilions, flowers, and trees by Zhang, a native of Ning. Its old theme reads: "Caring for the swallows, birds, and warblers, wandering through sparse forests and searching for them. Amidst the ups and downs of the night and the morning, the scenery is red and verdant. Walking along the winding path, one becomes more neat and graceful." The poem reads: "The East Garden carries wine, the West Garden is drunk, and under the flowers, one writes a poem and sings under the moon.".

When the Yu Garden was not yet abandoned, there was a Flower God Pavilion on its rockery, and during spring and autumn holidays, there were many walking clogs. There were pavilions, terraces, forests, and trees, which were very different from the empty and spacious Zhang Garden. It also housed chimpanzees, peacocks, and tassels, resembling the early style of Shanghai style gardens.

Liu Longzhou Tomb——

The Longzhou Tomb is the location of the ninth social gathering event of Chongyin Ci Society, and it is also the theme of this chant. The preface of Yu Tianshui's "Qinyuan Spring" records the relevant situation and provides a brief introduction to the Longzhou Tomb. Longzhou, also known as Liu Guo, had his courtesy name changed. He had low aspirations, studied and discussed military affairs, and was fond of discussing the ups and downs of ancient and modern times. However, he failed many attempts, and eventually lived his life in plain clothes.

Liu Guo intersected with Xin Qiji, and his poetry also had the style of the Xin school, which was quite bold and generous. The most representative works of Liu Guo's poetry are mainly patriotic poems that express emotions about national affairs and speak out loudly. The visit of Chongyin's sons to Kunshan specifically paid homage to the Longzhou Tomb, in order to express their concern for national affairs and express their dissatisfaction with current events.

Tianping Mountain——

The 14th gathering activity of Chongyin Ci Society, various gentlemen went to Tianping Mountain in Suzhou. Tianping Mountain is located 30 miles west of Suzhou City, formerly known as Baiyun Mountain or Cishan. It is the burial place of the ancestors of the famous Northern Song Dynasty minister Fan Zhongyan. Strange rocks, clear springs, and red maple are the "three wonders" of this mountain. According to Gu Lu's "Qingjia Lu", the Pingshan Mountain in the west of the county is the most scenic spot in the maple forest. The frost leaves are red, with bright colors. The setting sun is on the mountain, and when you look up, it feels like coral scorching the sea.

As recorded by Gu Lu, the red maple on Tianping Mountain is indeed a scenic spot. Xia Jingguan's class "Frost Leaves Flying" records that the time of this trip is "September of the Dingsi Festival", which is the late autumn season. It is believed that the red leaves have already become red throughout the mountains and fields, and the gentlemen of the Ci Society can witness what Gu Lu called the "scorching coral sea" scenery.

"'Sad people don't have arms'"

Ci Society is a group activity. If the gathering of members is a condition for harmony, then the selection of the location for social gathering activities has its special "geographical advantage" requirements.

Firstly, convenient transportation.

The Ci Society has a large number of members and is difficult to attract, so the gathering location generally requires convenient transportation. If it is remote and difficult to travel, and there are few people who can reach it, it is difficult to succeed. The locations chosen for the Chongyin Ci Society activities are relatively convenient for transportation. For example, Gu Yuxuan, as a famous Sichuan restaurant, from a business perspective, its geographical location must have advantages and should be a place with convenient transportation.

From the diaries of Zhang Yuanji and others, it can be seen that for general banquets to entertain family and friends, Gu Yuxuan is the preferred choice. This indicates that Gu Yuxuan not only has convenient transportation, but may also be not far from the residences of these literati. If the distance is long, even if transportation is convenient, it is not so frequent to attend the banquet here.

Although Suzhou and Shanghai are two cities, they are very close and have direct land transportation. In the first half of the 20th century, traveling from Shanghai to Suzhou was more convenient than other cities.

Secondly, the location should be elegant.

Modern Shanghai poets prefer antique architectural style, tactful and crisp traditional singing, strong Baijiu stored for many years, classic dishes inherited from different regions and other elements that can trigger nostalgia. The garden charm of Xuyuan and Yuyuan can promote the elegance of literati. This elegant and tranquil atmosphere is very different from the Western style dance hall where champagne is full of air, and hairpins and temples sway back and forth.

Thirdly, it has openness.

Gu Yuxuan is originally a place for the public and profit, and its openness is naturally self-evident; The Liu Longzhou Tomb, Tianping Mountain and other places were popular places for outings at that time, and also had full openness; Xu Garden and Yu Garden were originally private gardens that were previously inaccessible to idle people. However, the Chongyin Ci Society had more social activities and chose both due to the garden opening policy at that time.

Many private gardens in Shanghai were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a focus on traditional landscape painting. In the early 20th century, inspired and demonstrated by the establishment of various parks by Westerners, a large number of private gardens were successively opened. Although Westerners set up parks in Shanghai, due to severe racial discrimination, they did not allow Chinese people to enter the parks. For example, the "Public Garden" on the Bund was not open to Chinese people at that time. On the one hand, Chinese people were stimulated by this, and on the other hand, they were inspired and demonstrated. Since the 1880s, some famous private gardens in Shanghai have been opened to the public for free or with a small fee. These open gardens charge a small entrance fee to the public, but the price is reasonable, such as selling a small amount of foreign currency per customer in Yuyuan Garden, just like Zhang Garden. This not only attracts a large number of ordinary citizens, but also becomes the preferred gathering place for literati groups with traditional cultural charm.

Furthermore, the social gathering venues chosen by Chongyin Zhuzi, who avoided living in Shanghai, were more focused on traditional restaurants and gardens, which also hinted at their complex mentality of "sad people don't have arms". This is probably the mentality shared by the immigrants who live by the seaside.