The Story of Maotuan’er in Tang-style Costume

The cold wind of the twelfth lunar month carried a few scattered snowflakes. As soon as I opened the door, holding a delivery box in my hands, Maotuan’er, my golden retriever, wagged its tail and came over, sniffing around the box with its wet nose. When a bright red Tang-style costume came into view, it suddenly barked, as if cheering. I had specially prepared this for the Spring Festival temple fair in the community, but I didn’t expect it to be so spiritual.

The silk fabric of the Tang-style costume glowed with a soft luster. Delicate Ruyi buttons were coiled at the collar, auspicious cloud patterns outlined with golden thread were embroidered on the cuffs, and a vivid golden dragon was embroidered on the back. I gently dressed Maotuan’er in it. The originally fluffy golden fur made it look dashing and heroic in an instant, just like a “auspicious beast” guarding the house. It seemed to sense its new appearance and paced around the living room with its head held high, even disdaining its favorite toy ball.

On the day of the temple fair, Maotuan’er became the center of attention. It walked proudly on the bluestone road, and the hem of the Tang-style costume swayed gently with each step, causing passers-by to stop and take photos. An old man with a walking stick stopped tremblingly, and his cloudy eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh, it reminds me of when I was young. My old yellow dog also wore such clothes! During the Spring Festival at that time, wealthy families would dress their guard dogs in auspicious costumes, which symbolized safeguarding the house and warding off evil spirits.”

As he was speaking, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out, and the dragon and lion dance teams came in a mighty procession. At first, Maotuan’er shrank its neck in fright at the deafening sound of the gongs and drums. But when it saw the majestic “golden dragon” tumbling in front of it, it suddenly got excited and chased after the dragon dance team. The golden dragon on the Tang-style costume seemed to echo the dancing dragon, and the dog and the dragon shuttled through the crowd, constantly drawing laughter and applause from the onlookers.

In one corner of the temple fair, a girl in Hanfu was writing Spring Festival couplets. Maotuan’er curiously approached, and its tail accidentally swept across the red paper with wet ink. Instead of getting angry, the girl smiled and said, “Perfect! A few extra strokes on this ‘Fu’ character make it look like the dog’s ‘paw print blessing’!” The surrounding children clapped their hands in delight, and someone suggested making Maotuan’er the “blessing messenger” to deliver the written Spring Festival couplets to neighbors.

So, surrounded by the crowd, Maotuan’er, with the fragrant Spring Festival couplets in its mouth, shuttled through the quaint alleys. At each house, it would sit down obediently. Only after the host took the couplets would it wag its tail and run to the next house. The elderly people who received the “blessings” from it beamed with joy, praising Maotuan’er as an “auspicious dog.”

As the sun set, the temple fair gradually came to an end. Maotuan’er was so tired that it lay on the ground, panting heavily, but its eyes were still bright. Looking at the Tang-style costume on it, which carried laughter and traditional culture, I suddenly realized that this was not just a piece of clothing. It was a link connecting the past and the present, tradition and cuteness. It brought new vitality to ancient customs in modern life and also allowed more people to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Perhaps next year, I will prepare an even more beautiful Tang-style costume for Maotuan’er and continue to write our cultural stories together.