Eight Strange of Tianqiao

To talk about Tianqiao, the Eight Strange of Tianqiao cannot be omitted. Some of them have consummate skills, some of them have strange appearance, some of them have strange words and deeds, some of them delivered serious matters in a humorous way, leaving striking impression in the audiences. Who was the Eight Strange? There were many answers. The number was far more than eight; usually they were divided into three groups according to time. The first group of Eight Strange appeared in Xianfeng, Tongzhi, Guangxu Period of Qing Dynasty, including Qiong Bu Pa, Cu Ni Gao, Cao Ma Zi, Pen Tu Zi, Tian Que Zi, Chou Sun Zi, Bi Heng Zi and Chang Sha Zi. According to the Record of Beiping Folk Custom, before 1897, the Eight Strange referred to Zhao Que Zi, Wan Ren Mi, Zheng Mi San, Hu Hu Lao, Ren Ren Le, Cu Ni Gao and Qiong Bu Pa. According to the New People’s Daily on Jun 9th of 1939, the Eight Strange was divided into three groups, totaling 24 people. The Old Eight Strange were Qiong Bu Pa, Old Yun Li Fei, Old Wan Ren Mi, Ba Da Chui, Zhao Que Zi, Hua Gou Xiong, Cu Ni Gao, Wang Sha Zi. The above eight masters were the Eight Strange around the 26th year of Guangxi Period, later someone composed a poem to describe them as:

Qiong Bu Pa wrote with white sand

Yun Li Fei performed the funny Pihuang

Why the audience fascinated by Wan Ren Mi’s leg

Monk Zhizhen played eight hammers

Zhao Que was like a swallow on the bar

Bear blew the pot

Cu Ni’s Xiangsheng pleased the audience

Wang Sha Zi waved arms

Some of them have contributed to the creation and development of national and folk arts.

Entertainment in modern time

Some said that Tianqiao was “extremely exotic and extremely indigenous.” Here concentrated different folk handicrafts, numerous goods and services meeting people’s requirements on clothing, food, living and traveling. Here introduced western civilization, including the New World, the biggest entertainment place in Beijing, the South Beijing Entertainment Park, the entertainment place for common people and the trolley car imported from France, commonly called “Dong-dong” car. The love story The Fates of A Marriage of Tears and Laughter against the background of Tianqiao created a significant stir at that time, the Central Pavilion was the place where the hero and the heroine met, acquainted and fell in love, the story added mysterious and beautiful charm to Tianqiao.

New World

In 1914, the New World Kursaal on west Wanming Road was founded. It contained roof garden, drama stage, Quyi stage, acrobatics stage, and tea, refreshment, snack food and alcohol booths, thrived once a time. In 1916, the businessman—Bu Hequan raised fund to build a Central Pavilion on southwest of Tianqiao. Flowers, trees and lotuses were planted around the pavilion, which constituted an agreeable scene. With the establishment of the Central Pavilion, more than ten tea houses were opened one after another on the north bank, namely they were Tianwaitian, Ouxiangxie, Lengcuixuan and Luxiangyuan, and the famous Houdefu and Pianyifang opened their businesses here, too. In 1922, the Central Pavilion was closed down.