The next day.
The entire Chang'an City, from the Imperial Palace to the government offices, from the mansions of the high officials to the dwellings of the common people, all streets and alleys were hung with white lanterns, presenting an atmosphere of serene melancholy.
Throughout the daylight hours, all forms of fire were prohibited for an entire day. Every household observed the Cold Food Festival by preparing meals without the use of fire.
By evening, the ringing of the evening bells resounded throughout the city. All markets closed early, entering the period of curfew where the common people could only move about within their respective neighborhoods, not allowed to step onto the main roads of the city.
In the square before the Imperial City, hundreds of monks from the Xiangguo Temple sat on the ground. In front of each one was a lotus-shaped oil lamp, and in their hands were wooden fish, which they struck while chanting the Rebirth Mantra.
