In recent years, summer temperatures in Hong Kong have been rising year by year. The Hong Kong Observatory forecasts extremely hot weather during the day today (May 29), with urban temperatures ranging from 28°C to 35°C, and locally up to 36-37°C in the New Territories. During this kind of scorching heat, many Hong Kong netizens jokingly ask on social media: "Has Mr. Lam turned on the air conditioner yet?" Last night, former Observatory Director Lam Chiu-ying "settled the score" on social media, posting a photo of his desk. The photo showed only a small light green fan placed on the desk, surrounded by piles of documents. Lam captioned the image simply: "Tonight, an old friend guards me, implying that he still managed to fall asleep with just a small fan, without turning on the AC.
This makes modern Hongkongers ponder: In ancient times, without air conditioning, refrigerators, or even electric fans, how did people survive the sweltering summer? Opening history books reveals that not only did they survive, but they did so with considerable sophistication.
1. Dedicated Official for "Ancient Refrigerators"
As early as the Zhou Dynasty (3000 years ago), the imperial court established an official position called "Ling Ren," specifically tasked with leading teams to cut ice in December when river ice was thickest, then transporting it to underground ice cellars for storage. The "Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng," excavated in 1978, contained an exquisite bronze artifact called an "Ice Chest" (Bing Jian). Its design involved placing ice in an outer layer and wine in an inner layer, confirming that feudal lords 2400 years ago were already enjoying iced rice wine.
2. Exquisite Ice Desserts Popular in Tang and Song Dynasties
By the Tang Dynasty, a dessert called "Su Shan" (Cream Mountain) was popular in Chang'an. It involved pouring milk curds over shaved ice and decorating it with flowers – comparable to a Tang Dynasty version of creamy shaved ice. It was later introduced to Europe by Italian traveler Marco Polo, becoming one of the origins of modern ice cream. By the Song Dynasty, citizens in Bianjing (Kaifeng) and Lin'an (Hangzhou) had high purchasing power, and iced drinks became common among the people. Popular street market items included "Ice Cold Yuanzi" (similar to iced tangyuan), "Snow-Infused Plum Wine," and "Lychee Paste Water" – just hearing the names evokes a sense of cooling.
3. Qing Dynasty Emperors' Summer Retreats
If even the emperor couldn't bear the heat, he would resort to the ultimate strategy. Every summer, Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong would lead their entire entourages to the Chengde Summer Resort or the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) to conduct government affairs while escaping the heat. The resort's lakes and mountains offered temperatures over ten degrees lower than Beijing's Forbidden City, allowing for simultaneous summer retreat and governance.
4. Mechanical Fan – "Seven-Wheel Fan"
The most common natural "refrigerator" for commoners was the deep well. People would tie watermelons, peaches, and plum syrup in a bucket and lower it into the well to chill. The cool, moist sensation was very comfortable for the body. Furthermore, Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital (Xijing Zaji) records that Ding Huan, a skilled craftsman of the Han Dynasty, invented the "Seven-Wheel Fan" – a human-powered mechanical cooling device with seven large wheels connected together. When operated, it could generate enough wind to make a whole room "shiver," representing an early prototype of the modern fan.
5. Cooling Sleep Accessories and Architectural Designs
For bedding, aside from basic bamboo mats, wealthy families used soft, cool "ivory mats." The "porcelain pillows" popular during the Song and Yuan dynasties featured elegant painted patterns on the sleeping surface, as referenced in poet Li Qingzhao's line: "A jade pillow behind a gauze screen, at midnight the coolness first seeps through." Commoners would sleep accompanied by a "Bamboo Lady" (Zhufuren) – a hollow, cylindrical woven bamboo cage. Architecturally, southern Chinese homes incorporated narrow, long "cooling alleys" (leng xiang). These utilized the Venturi effect to accelerate airflow, significantly increasing indoor wind force.
6. The Zen Philosophy of "Calm Mind, Cool Body"
Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi wrote a poem titled "Beat the Heat": "How to dispel the sultry heat? Sit upright in the courtyard. There's nothing much before my eyes; a fresh breeze comes through the window. Heat dissipates when the mind is calm; cool arises as the room empties." He believed that if you don't clutter your room, a breeze will naturally come through the window; as long as your mind is calm and the room spacious, heat will dissipate. Bai also once visited an esteemed monk meditating calmly in a sealed meditation chamber and curiously asked why he wasn't hot. The monk simply replied, "It's just a calm mind." This is the origin of the common saying, "A calm mind makes you feel cool."
However, medical experts have weighed in. Dr. Su Shang-hao, Director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Taiwan's Po Jen General Hospital, noted that "calm mind, cool body" is a philosophical state, but medically improbable. He explained that human body temperature is constantly stable and does not change without external factors; therefore, calming the mind cannot lower temperature. "If calming the mind could cool the body, wouldn't that mean we could just tell heatstroke or heat exhaustion patients to stay calm and they'd be fine?"
On the other hand, Taiwanese clinical neurologist Dr. Zheng Chun-yu explained that while core body temperature remains relatively constant, perceived temperature differs. The perception of cool or heat depends on factors like time exposed to high temperatures, hydration levels, physical exertion, and more. Therefore, while core body temperature is not easily changed, calming the mind might stabilize the autonomic nervous system, affect blood flow, and thereby potentially change the "body's perception," reducing feelings of anxiety and stifling heat.
