There are many things in life that we think are commonplace, but once people ask why they say this or do this, they really can't think of the reason.
For example, what we often say about going to the toilet and going to the kitchen, how do the "up" and "down" come from here? Why do you say so?
Azimuth structure
Chinese people usually choose to face south when building houses, because lighting and ventilation are better, and it also represents dignity.
Azimuth factors: Usually, toilets will be built in a northeastern location. People think that toilets are dirty places, so the kitchen should naturally be away from them, so they will be built in a southeastern location. Because there is a saying that going up north and down south, the geographical location of the kitchen is regarded as "going south", and the toilet is regarded as "going north", which forms the toilet and the kitchen.
Structural factors: Because toilets in ancient times were built relatively high and even had stairs, the ancients needed to climb the ladder when going to the toilet. The toilet was in a east-east position, so the ancients also called the toilet going to the east. The kitchen was opposite to the toilet and was built in a lower place, so there was a saying that going to the kitchen and going to the toilet.
idea of superiority and inferiority
In ancient times, people attached great importance to the system of superiority and inferiority, and the hierarchy was very strict. The "top" and "bottom" here did not simply refer to directions, but also showed people's status and the gap between the rich and the poor.
In ancient times, poor families basically did not have their own toilets, while wealthy families would build toilets at home. In order to highlight their status, they used "up" to indicate going to the toilet.
Similarly, in ancient times, people who cooked in the kitchen were regarded as servants and servants, and their identities were relatively low-level. Princes and nobles would not enter the kitchen, so they called cooking "down-to-the-kitchen". There is another saying that people with noble identities could comment on the chef's food, so they were called "down-to-the-kitchen".
Five Elements Factors
In ancient times, people paid great attention to the five elements. The toilet belongs to water, the kitchen belongs to fire, and going to the toilet means being above the water, and going to the kitchen means being under the fire, walking on the water, and hiding under the fire, it is very safe.
"Water and fire" refers not only to floods and fires, but also to unexpected disasters. Using the five elements into the toilet and kitchen was the great wisdom of the ancients.
Habits and feelings
Ancient dignitaries lived in Siheyuan. In Siheyuan, the main house was the elderly, the east house was the eldest son, the west house was the second son or the daughter, and the south house was the servants, so the toilet was close to the elders at home, which was convenient for use, while the kitchen was close to the servants to cook.
The ancients paid great attention to personal feelings, and internal urgent matters were the primary issue. In order to show this urgentness, they designated it as "going to the toilet". Compared to going to the toilet, eating was not very anxious, so it was designated as "going to the kitchen".
