《东京梦华录》创作于宋钦宗靖康二年（1127年），是一本追述北宋都城东京开封府城市风俗人情的著作。所记大多是宋徽宗崇宁到宣和（1102-1125）年间北宋都城东京开封的情况，描绘了这一历史时期居住在东京的上至王公贵族、下及庶民百姓的日常生活情景，是研究北宋都市社会生活、经济文化的一部极其重要的历史文献古籍。

中元节祭祀亡灵

七月十五日中元节。先数日，市井卖冥器靴鞋、幞头帽子、金犀假带、五彩衣服。……又以竹竿斫成三脚，高三五尺，上织灯窝之状，谓之盂兰盆，搭挂衣服冥钱在上焚之。构肆乐人，自过七夕，便般《目连救母》杂居，直至十五日止，观者增倍。……十五日供养祖先素食。……城外有新坟者，即往拜扫。

宋/孟元老《东京梦华录》

Offering Sacrifices to Ghosts in Zhong Yuan Festival*

The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Zhong Yuan Festival. Several days ahead of this date, people start to market boots and shoes, hats and belts, and colourful clothes, all made of paper. These items will be burnt as offerings to ghosts. They also make bamboo tripods three to five feet tall, the top part of which is in the shape of a lamp bowl. This is called the "yulan pot". The paper garments and paper money are burnt in it. Operatic troupes put on the play Mu Lian Rescuing His Mother** from the 7th till the 15th. The audience in that period is double the usual size. On the fifteenth day of the month, people offer vegetarian food to their ancestors. Any family that has a new tomb outside the town must pay homage to it on that day.

Meng Yuanlao (Song Dynasty)

Records of Dreams in East Capital

* Zhong Yuan Festival: i.e., Yulan Pot Fair, or Ghost Festival, is celebrated mainly to offer sacrifices to the souls of deceased people. The climax is the burning of paper garments and paper money. Since the yulan pot itself is also burnt at the end, the sacrificial rite is called the Yulan Pot Fair.

** "Mu Lian Rescuing His Mother": According to Buddhist scriptures, the Buddhist disciple Mu Lian once furnished monks with all kinds of fruit to secure his mother's rescue from privation. It was a custom in the old times to perform the play on July 15th of the lunar year. The audience crowded the theatre on that day.

（姚红 译）

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