(File photo)
Herbal drinks
During the Qing Dynasty, taking Chinese herbal medicine was popular in Beijing. According to historical records, during the scorching summer, some people preferred to drink ice water, some boiled perilla leaves, and liquorice as summer soup to keep off the heat. Ancient people also loved to make lotus seed soup in summer which was said to have the benefit of strengthening the body.
The painting shows a scholar reading on bed-mat. (File photo)
Bed-mat for summer
Ancient people wove vines, reeds, or bamboo into bed-mats for summer which are cool to sleep on.
A porcelain pillow (Photo/The Palace Museum)
Porcelain pillow
The surface of a porcelain pillow is a layer of glaze, which feels pleasantly cool. It is said that the Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty liked his porcelain pillow a lot.
