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Zoey Zhang

Before electricity, central heating, and down quilts, winter in ancient China was not simply a season but a test of class.
Cold was shared by everyone, but warmth was usually not.
During the Han dynasty (206BC–AD220), emperors used specially designed “warm chambers” to protect themselves from the winter cold.
The walls were plastered with a mixture of mud and Sichuan peppercorns, thought to preserve heat while resisting dampness and insects; curtains and screens helped keep out draughts.

These rooms are often regarded as one of the earliest examples of an indoor heating system in China.
By the Wei and Jin periods (220–420), records show that people in northeastern China were already using the kang, a heated brick bed, to keep warm in winter.
In the Song dynasty (960–1279), young people from elite families often carried a tang pozi, a copper hand-warmer filled with hot water.
By the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), tang pozi and other hand warmers had become especially popular among imperial consorts.
Delicately crafted and often decorated with patterns, they contained burning charcoal that gave off gentle heat without scorching the skin.

During the Tang dynasty (618–907), some members of the royal family even had maidservants warm their beds before they slept.
Historical accounts describe the extravagant habits of figures such as the high official Yang Guozhong, who used plump maids as a human screen against the wind.
A Tang prince was even said to forgo a brazier in winter, choosing instead to warm his hands inside the clothing of beautiful maids.
With the growing popularity of pet-keeping, some officials of the Song dynasty slept with their cats and dogs in winter for warmth.

The poet Lu You once wrote that the wind and rain outside were so unsettling that he would rather stay indoors with his cat to warm his feet.
For ordinary people in ancient China, however, winter was far harsher.
While emperors and nobles dressed in fur, many poor people stuffed chicken feathers, reeds, willow catkins and other materials between layers of clothing, creating an early form of padded winter wear.
Some places in ancient society offered the poor shelter from the cold.
One was the “chicken feathers inn”, where the quilt made from chicken feathers was designed to be raised and lowered to prevent theft.

Another was the “sand inn,” where sunken pits were filled with sand; at night, lodgers burned firewood and slept in the heat the sand retained.
Some of the poor resorted to even more desperate ways of surviving the winter.
Historical accounts say that some beggars slept in manure heaps for warmth, but the build-up of poisonous gases often caused them to die.
Others even swallowed arsenic in the hope of keeping warm, though the heat it produced was in fact only a symptom of poisoning.

The cruelty of class inequality in winter was captured in classical Chinese poetry.
The Tang poet Du Fu once wrote: “Behind the gates of the rich, meat and wine rot in excess, while the poor freeze and starve to death in the streets.”
During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), an unnamed beggar was said to have frozen to death by the roadside.
When people searched his body, they found a final poem tucked inside his clothes.
He wrote: “I have measured all the hardship and injustice of this world with my own two feet, and in return have gained nothing but a sorrow too heavy for my shoulders to bear.”


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In ancient China where winters were harsh without electricity or down quilts, emperors had foot-warming maids and nobles kept domestic cats and dogs for warmth. Photo: Zhihu 

The above image depicts what life was like for ordinary folk in ancient China. Photo:www.bilibili.com

For the better off centuries ago special warming feather beds were available. Photo:www.bilibili.com

In some cases, the special feather beds came with a cover to retain more heat. Photo:www.bilibili.com

The above image shows an ancient emperor being attended to by “warming maids”. Photo:www.bilibili.com

The above modern-day photograph of a dog warming someone’s feet mimics what some people did to stave off the cold in ancient times. Photo:www.bilibili.com

Why Empress Dowager Cixi and people in ancient China used animal faeces in beauty routines

In ancient China, using animal excrement in beauty routines was common and Empress Dowager Cixi was known to use bird droppings for skincare. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo/Baidu

While Cixi steered China through significant challenges and political upheaval, few recognise that she was also a passionate beauty aficionado. Photo: History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Herbal remedies are widely employed in skincare due to their natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiseptic properties, providing safer alternatives to synthetic products. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

Historically, various forms of animal waste, particularly bird droppings, have been utilised in East Asian skincare practices, notably in ancient China and Japan, to brighten and exfoliate the skin. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

Bird droppings are dried, sanitised, and ground into a fine white powder before being used as a facial mask or cleanser. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

Chinese man modifies electric bike, uses dog as power source, draws animal abuse criticism

A Chinese man modified his electric bicycle by removing its battery and using his golden retriever to power it, drawing criticism for potential animal abuse. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Another road user filmed the dog in action under the seat of the man’s electric bicycle. Photo: sohu.com

Accusations of animal abuse were made against the man after the story was reported by a local television station. Photo: sohu.com

The dog involved was a golden retriever, like the one pictured above in Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock

A busy crossing with waiting motorbikes in China’s Jiangsu province where the incident took place. Photo: Shutterstock

Japan food company rebrands ‘boring’ tofu, making it ‘manly’ to appeal to young customers

A Japanese food company earns US$38 million annually by rebranding tofu as a masculine food item, calling it “manly tofu” to appeal to young consumers. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sina

Tofu production in Japan has been refined over centuries through traditional methods that blend craftsmanship, pure water, and high-quality domestic soybeans. Photo: Japan Tofu Association

Shingo Ito, above, an accountant turned entrepreneur, took the helm of his father’s tofu business with the vision of transforming it into an iconic product that transcends borders, now exporting successfully to the US. Photo: meiji.ac.jp

Tofu with a twist: the manly revolution of Otokomae Tofu has captured the taste buds of young consumers in Japan. Photo: Handout

Branding his products as “Otokomae Tofu,” which translates to “manly tofu,” Ito boldly features the character “man” on the packaging, reinforcing the brand’s identity. Photo: Handout

Tofu, originally introduced to Japan from China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), has a rich historical lineage and is now a staple in numerous Chinese and Japanese dishes. Photo: Shutterstock

Heartwarming tale of 7 dogs’ escape from captivity in China garners 230 million views

In a touching story, seven dogs from the same village in China escaped after being stolen by a dog meat shop and trekked 17km home. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

They resemble a group of little brothers in distress, moving together in unison—entirely unlike stray dogs. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com

The dogs’ incredible journey home has captured widespread attention online, with videos amassing over 230 million views. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com

A man strolls with his pet dog as he converses with a vendor selling dog meat at a market during the local dog meat festival in Yulin, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China, on June 21, 2018. Photo: Reuters/Tyrone Siu

On March 19, a volunteer at a dog shelter reported to Jimu News that all seven dogs had returned to their respective owners, who came from three different households. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com

Chinese man, 82, travels 12 hours daily for 105 days to visit wife in ICU; devotion touches hearts

An 82-year-old man spent 105 days making a 12-hour daily journey to visit his wife in the ICU, using his savings for her treatment. Photo: SCMP composite/CCTV/Douyin

Touching: Chen Achong kisses his wife’s hand as she lies in her hospital bed. Photo: CCTV

The 82-year-old farmer Chen spent hours at the bedside of his beloved wife. Photo: CCTV

Chen holds his sick wife’s hand tightly as she lies in bed in the hospital. Photo: CCTV

Chen and his son pose for a photograph with Xue in the hospital. Photo: CCTV

Loving couple: Chen and Xue pictured together in their younger years. Photo: CCTV

Chen, above, woke up at 4.30am every day to make the lonely journey to be by his wife’s side in the hospital. Photo: CCTV

News

People & Culture

While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common


While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common.


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How emperors and nobles kept warm without down quilts during winter in ancient China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common

While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common