Bustling Tianqiao

2 min read

The Tianqiao area in Old Beijing was a place famous for spotlighting Beijing’s folk customs, with theaters specializing in different types of folk performances, amusement playgrounds, taverns, teahouses, food stands, and kiosks selling daily necessities. Peking Opera, Heibei Bangzi, Pingxi Opera, puppet shows, shadow plays, comic talk, acrobatics, magic performances, and other diverse performing arts all gathered here, alongside more than 100 snacks, including jellied tofu, seasoned flour mush, deep-fried tofu, cakes, to name just a few.

A galaxy of shops sold miscellaneous goods and such daily necessities as clothing, furniture, secondhand shoes and books, curios, etc. There were also dental clinics, drugstores, fortunetellers, barbers, and vendors of all kinds. It was a clamorous place full of noise and excitement.

Among the entertainers of Tianqiao, the majority were engaged in acrobatics and quyi (Chinese folk vocal art forms rich in local flavor, including balladeering, storytelling, comictalk, clapper talk, crosstalk, etc.), alongside those in local operas, circuses and martial arts.

Among them were three groups of entertainers with unique appearance, speech and behavior, and most of all, superb performing skills. They were called the “eight eccentrics,”engagingin comic talk, vocal mimicry, balladeering, and qigong. One of them, named “Jester King,”could break a 20cm-thick stone with his palm, or cut it into two with his index, middle and ringfingers. The performance of the “eight eccentrics”truly drew the admiration of audiences.

Colors of autumn in Beijing

In addition to the “eight eccentrics,”other entertainers also boasted superb skills andgained high repute among audiences.”Everybody Happy,”a vocal impersonator, used a fan to cover his face while imitating the tones and voices of different people. His most popular performance was called “Five Kids Making Trouble at School.”At the beginning of the performance, the audience could hear the snoring of people sound asleep, followed by a cock crowing at dawn,a woman waking up her husband, breastfeeding an infant, the elder son getting up to pee, the husband yawning, going to the mill to pull the donkey out, door opening and closing, thudding of the donkey’s hooves on the ground, bells clanking, the woman urging her son to go to school, the elder son asking for money to buy steamed buns for breakfast and singing on his way to school, readings by children at school, whispers, laughter, wails and bickering after the teacher leaves the classroom, scolding-all sounds cleverly reproduced and remarkably true to life.

Most visitors to Tianqiao were ordinary people. The boisterous scenes, noisy crowds, colorful streamers, and delicious snacks, all brought everyone contentment, joy, and more importantly, spiritual consolation.