Got Milk? Getting Intimate With Naizifang Village's Wacky Past
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When venturing into Beijing's labyrinth of lanes and alleys, you might often be struck by an unusual or baffling street sign or community name. While newcomers may assume that they have mistranslated or are misinterpreting the characters and meaning, some of these place names really are that weird, and usually, indicate a fascinating past.
Prime example: 奶子房 (Nǎi zǐ fang), which can be literally translated as “Breast's House”, a village located east of the fifth ring road whose wacky name has been prompting giggles for years.
Let’s dig into the origin of this village's bizarre name, and learn more about what is worth checking out in the area.Naizifang, a name that always prompts giggles
According to legend, Genghis Khan, the founder and first Khan of the notorious Mongol Empire, was once chased so aggressively by the enemy that he escaped to a barren locale where a young mother fed him with her breast milk in lieu of other sustenance. After Genghis Khan founded the Empire, he sent people to look for the woman who saved his life, to no avail. Instead, he renamed the place where he met her as 'Naizifang' in 1206 and inscribed a tablet reading 天下第一奶 (tiānxià dì yī nǎi “the world’s bestmilk”) to memorialize the woman who had saved him. According to Baidu Baike, the original tablet is currently in a New York City museum.
Later on, perhaps inspired by the milky origins of the area, the village also became home to large horse ranches that produced mare’s milk exclusively for the Mongolian nobility to make kumiss, one of their most popular liquors.
Naizifang's name remains unchanged to this day, even though some deem it offensive and have put forth several proposals to change it.Naizifang is now divided into two villages, Naidongcun and Naixicun, and has nearly 3,000 residents in total.
三合院 (sān hé yuàn traditional triple house courtyard)
Naidongcun maintains its old village feel and is home to some very well-preserved traditional local triple-house courtyards.
Niangniang Temple and the annual Temple Fair
Naizifang was once home to five temples, but today only one remains, 娘娘庙 (Niángniáng miào “Niangniang Temple”). Today, it hosts an annual temple fair where attendees worship to 碧霞元君 Bìxiáyuánjūn, a goddess believed to be a protector of children.
The temple fair is the highlight of the village’s calendar, and usually takes place on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the fourth lunar month, the purported birth time of Bixiayuanjun. This fair attracts huge crowds thanks to its diverse and traditional performances presented by over 10 groups in and around the village. Check the video here to learn more about the annual event.
The local food market
There is apparently a pretty big market selling local food every Wednesday and Sunday, but we didn’t manage to get any address details. It shouldn't be difficult for you to inquire that out to the locals since it’s a relatively small place.Folk singer Zuoxiao Zuzhou has an album called Heading to Naizifang (you can listen to the album on Spotify). While we can't say for sure, we are guessing that he found the village's name to be weird in an inspiring way. If you're making a day of it in Naizifang, there is really no better playlist choice than this album.
Bus routes 944, 855, and 939 all stop at Naizifang village.
READ: Dramatic Video Shows Helicopter Crash Near Naizifang Village
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Baidu Baike, Google Maps
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