Don't let the movies fool you, ancient people had to complete these 7749 procedures to rent an inn.

If you still believe that ancient people only needed a few taels of silver to rent a room at an inn, you have been deceived by the movies, say Chinese historians.

In the memories of fans of Chinese swordplay movies, we often see a scene where a person walks into an inn, puts two pieces of silver on the table and says: "Waiter, give me a room to rest" . Immediately after that, the Waiter will shout loudly: " Yes, right away, please come in, guests" . It is this image that makes us think that ancient people only needed to hold money in hand to rent a room at any inn. However, Chinese historians have argued that such a scene is absolutely impossible. Why do they assert so?

The inns were all managed by the court.

The first inn opened during the Zhou Dynasty. (Photo: Sohu).

Historical records show that the earliest inns were built during the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, inns were called differently than they are now. The Zhou Emperor stipulated that every ten miles a "lu" (a small room) must be built on the road for resting. Every thirty miles there must be a "phong duong" (a place that can be used to shelter from the sun and rain). And every 50 miles there must be a "hanging hall" (an inn) for staying.

In the Zhou Dynasty, inns were all managed by the imperial court. Furthermore, the imperial court also stipulated that only officials could use inns, and commoners had nothing to do with this matter.

It was not until the Tang and Song dynasties that private inns were approved by the imperial court. (Photo: Sohu).

Later, during the Tang and Song dynasties, the country's economy was very prosperous, and private inns were approved by the imperial court. In addition, during this period, the imperial court held many exams, and candidates had to travel from their hometowns to the capital, so the construction of inns along the way for them to stop and rest was very necessary.

However, people who want to rent a room in an inn need to go through 7,749 steps to complete it. What are those procedures?

3 things to do to rent a room in an inn

In ancient feudal times, although there was no modern technology like today, the emperors still had many ways to manage the people. Because if they did not do so, the country would have difficulty ensuring security and order. Therefore, in this era, the people's travel was strictly controlled. The court even established a system to manage the people's movement. They needed to complete the following 3 things to be able to rent a room at an inn.

People who want to rent a room in an inn must have an "ID card". (Photo: Sohu).

First , people must have an "ID card ". Specifically, this is a type of document that proves a person's identity. Just like our current citizen ID card, this type of document contains information about that person's full name, hometown, date of birth and place of residence. Anyone, when going out, must carry this "ID card".

Second , people must have a "letter of introduction" from the district office . When people need to move, they need to go to the district office to ask for a "letter of introduction" . This paper must be carried with them and presented before renting a room at an inn. On the "letter of introduction" , the district office clearly states the full name, information of the people as well as their destination.

Information of the inn's tenants will be filled in the "inventory book". (Photo: Sohu)

Third , people must fill in information in the "inventory book". This "inventory book" is managed by the inn. The innkeeper must prepare a book to update information about the room renters. Information in this book includes the name, hometown, occupation, hometown. of the guest. At the end of each month, the innkeeper will submit this "inventory book" to the court.

Old inns are not like the movies

In movies, we often see rooms in inns that are fully furnished with necessary items for guests to use. Many people even stay in their rooms for days without going out. However, inns in the past were completely different from the ones in movies.

Rooms in inns are furnished depending on the amount of money the tenant has. (Photo: Sohu)

After completing the above 3 procedures, tenants can check in. The rooms are arranged with different items depending on the amount of money the tenant has.

For example, during the Song Dynasty, the most luxurious rented room was called the "chief room". Not only was this room the largest in area, it was also furnished with the most expensive and complete items. Residents of this room also enjoyed additional services such as free alarm clocks and hot water for use. It can be said that the "chief room" was designed to make guests feel at home.

For lower rates, guests can choose the corresponding room categories.