What do the words "Ba" and "Shu" in "Ba Shu Earth" refer to?

The words "Ba" and "Shu" in "Ba Shu Earth" refer to Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality respectively.

Bashu refers to the Sichuan Basin and its vicinity, which is located in southwestern China, roughly covering Sichuan, Chongqing and its vicinity, i.e., the east-central part of present-day Sichuan Province and most of Chongqing, as well as southern Shaanxi Province and western Hubei Province. The main inhabitants are Han Chinese and part of the Hanland.

Historically, the Bashu region, Hanzhong region and Guanzhong region were the must-contend places for the ancient Chinese feudal dynasties.

Expanded Information:

Bashu Culture:

1, Bashu Dialect - Southwest Official Language

Sichuan dialect and Chongqing dialect both belong to the Southwest Official Language. Southwest Mandarin is a branch of the Northern language family, and is the main Chinese language popular in Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality (the Ba Shu area) and the neighboring areas of the surrounding provinces. It has about 160 million speakers, second only to Japanese and more than German.

The present-day Southwest Mandarin was formed during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, during the great migration movement of "filling Sichuan with Hunan and Guangdong", and was formed by the gradual evolution and fusion of the ancient Ba Shu language, which was popular in Sichuan before the Ming Dynasty, and the dialects of the immigrants from Hunan and Guangdong, as well as from Jiangxi and other places.

Chengdu dialect is the standard sound of Sichuan opera and all kinds of music and art, and it is a part of the Sichuan dialect of the Southwest official language. At the same time, because there is no barrier to communication between the various dialects in Sichuan, there is no standardized pronunciation of Sichuan dialect itself.

2. Local Drama-Sichuan Opera

Sichuan Opera has a lively form, various tunes, easy to understand, witty language, diversified performance programs, and some stunts, such as face-changing, whirling dances, fire-breathing, etc., which have a strong artistic effect. Sichuan Yangqin and Sichuan Qingyin are the main forms of opera. Xiangshu is performed by one person behind the mantle, which can simulate all kinds of voices and is exquisite. Harmonious drama in harmony, can reflect the reality of life in a timely manner.

3. Food Culture-Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan Cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China, which uses a wide range of ingredients, has many flavors and strong colors, and is characterized by its spicy taste. Hot pot, skewers, Gongbao chicken, Mapo tofu, lampshade beef, and strange chicken nuggets are the most distinctive.

There are many varieties of snacks, such as Lai Tangyuan, Dan Dan Noodles, Dou Hua Noodles, Sister Song's Noodles, Steamed Beef in a Small Cage, Egg Cake, Spicy Noodles, Hechuan Peach Slices, Hechuan Pork Slices, Jiangjin Rice Flower Candies, and Yunyang Peach Slices Cake, etc., all of which are traditional snacks.

4. Customs and beliefs

Pan-spiritual beliefs, belief in the main god, boulder worship, ancestor worship, white stone worship, jumping god, white tiger - Tujia beliefs, worship of arrows, jumping Cao Gai, honoring the god of the Plum Mountain, and goat thigh bone divination.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Bashu