We are very happy to find a detailed description of the daily life in the Northern Song 北宋 capital Kaifeng 開封 (modern Kaifeng/Henan) written by Meng Yuanlao 孟元老. In ten scrolls (juan 卷) Meng Yuanlao gives an account of how he remembered the bustling life and the inhabitant's customs of the old capital. The book was written in exile in the south in the 1130es. It is an important source for our knowledge about popular theatre and diversions in one of the largest cities of her time. The narrative style of the Dongjing menghua lu was copied by later Southern Song writers, like in Ducheng jisheng 都城紀勝, Menglianglu 夢粱錄 or Wulin jiushi 武林舊事.	Chapters of the Dongjing menghua lu
	Exemplarious translation: 相國寺萬姓交易 相國寺每月五次開放萬姓交易．大三門上皆是飛禽貓犬之類,珍禽奇獸無所不．有第三門皆動用什物．庭中設綵幙露屋義．鋪賣蒲合簟席屏幃先[水+敕]鞍轡弓劔時果脯腊之類．近佛殿孟學家道冠王道人蜜煎趙文秀筆及潘谷墨占．定兩廓皆諸寺師姑賣繡作領抹花朵珠翠頭面生色銷金花樣幞頭帽子特[髟+告]冠子條線之類．殿後資聖門前皆書籍玩好圖畫．及諸路罷任官員土物香藥之類．後廓皆日者貨術傳神之類．寺三門閣上並資聖門各有金銅鑄羅漢五百尊佛牙等．凡有齋供皆取上日方．開三門左右有兩缾琉璃塔．寺內有智海惠林寶梵河沙東西塔．院乃出角院舍各有住持僧官每遇齋會凡飲食茶果動使器皿．雖三五百分莫不咄嗟而辦．大殿兩廊皆國朝名公筆跡．左壁畫熾盛光佛降九矅鬼百戱，右壁佛降鬼子母揭盂殿庭供獻樂部馬隊之類．大殿朶廊皆壁隱樓殿人物莫非精妙． Public commerce in the Xiangguo Monastery Five times a month, the Xiangguo Monastery opens its gate for public commerce. Translated by Ulrich Theobald.