The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-09 00:00:00

not pass in ,them, and a driver is obliged on entering
them to call.out, that no one may enter at the same
time at the opposite end. Formerly at every point of
intersection between these streets, there stood a gate
closed it night, but though many of these gates are
still standing, the custom has been discontinued.
The houses of the Chinese have a monotonous ap=
pearance, being mostly surrounded with high walls of
grey half-baked brick, above which nothing but their
peaked roofs are to be seen. The only exception to
this uniform grey colour is offered by the imperial
palace, which is covered with smooth green tiles.
Besides this, seven or eight princely abodes offer some
variety of colour, but the unvarying dusty hue of the
rest would become insupportably wearisome, were it
not for the relief afforded by the projecting shops.
Before the entrance of each of these hangs a varnished
black board covered with gold letters, but there is little
decoration in any other than the sweetmeat shops.
The whole fronts of these are almost always Covered
with gilding, enriched with sprawling dragons and
other figures, and their splendour is rendered still
more striking from the contrast presented not unfre-
quently by the ruinous hovel and broken-down wall
adjoining.•
Gardens or walks for public resort do not exist in
Pekin, and among the buildings the only ones worthy
of notice are the temples, which are profusely painted
with vermilion,
DEVOTEES AT THE TEMPLES OF PEKIN. Among
the sins of the Chinese, certainly cannot be counted
that of excess of ceremonial devotion, for these tem-
ples are almost always empty. A newly-appointed
official sometimes seems to consider it a duty, when
the place obtained is a lucrative one, to visit 'all the
temples in the city, and he then goes to" work in
the following manner. He carries into the temple
a bundle of tapers, made of the bark of trees and
sweet scented oil, and kindles them before the idols
whilst the priest strikes with a stick on a metal plate,
the worshipper then makes a few prostrations, throws
down some money, and the business is. settled.
During certain days in every year, the temples are
much frequented, but for the purposes of trade, not
of devotion. The courts are then filled with traders,
who display their goods, principally of the ornamental
kind, and the visitors stroll about, or make purchases,
as at a fair. Enormous prices are demanded on•these
occasions. For a stone of a grass-green colour, much
valued by the Chinese for rings, bracelets, &c.,' a
merchant asked me 250 lan (upwards of 1001.), and
took 26. The scene is further enlivened by the ex-
hibitions of conjurors throwing knives, tumblers
walking en their hands, and other similar diversions,
but by the evening the temple is again left silent and
desolate.

TAVERNS.—ROASTED ICE.—If the houses of reli-
gious worship usually stand empty, the houses of public
entertainment, on the other hand, are almost always
full. • The prices charged at these places are enor-
mously high, and among the young men of the
wealthy classes, it is by no means uncommon for a
supper party of three or four to spend 50 lans (231.
10s.) • The dainties consumed on these occasions are
of a very recherche . description, and principally re-
commended by the difficulty of procuring them. A
favourite dish, for instance, is roasted ice, which is
enormously dear, as very few cooks possess the skill
and dexterity required for its preparation. A lump of
ice is taken upon a sieve, and after being quickly
enveloped in a sort of paste made of sugar, eggs,
and spices, is plunged into a pan full of boil-
ing pork fat or lard. The grand point is then to
serve it up before the ice has time to melt. What
may be the peculiar attraction of this dainty dish it
would be hard to say, for though frozen inside it burns
the mouth when first tasted. A small plateful costs
six lan (about 365.) The Chinese viands in general
are disagreeable to an European, as they, do not use
salt in their cookery, and do use an immoderate
quantity of pork fat, besides ginger and garlic. The
roast meats, however, it must be admitted, form an ho-
nourable exception, and would be acceptable even at .
the table of a Parisian gastronome. The immense
number of taverns (or traiteurs) in Pekin find no want
of support, as it is the custom to entertain guests there,
and not at private houses, to which relationship or
very particular intimacy alone can give a claim to be
invited. A banquekat one of these houses is considered
to be a necessary conclusion to the pleasure of a
theatrical entertainment, which is generally over by
six in the evening, beginning at.eleven in the fore-
noon. At these dinners, or suppers, the handsome
boys who play the female parts are frequent guests,
and they are allowed to select the dishes. Their
choice, as may be supposed, is seldom guided by eco-
nomy, and indeed it occasionally happens that they
have an understanding with the master of the house.
These boys are generally elegantly dressed, polished
in their manners, and fluent and even witty in their
conversation.
CHINESE FANCY FOR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.—The
Chinese women are to be seen neither in the temples,
nor the theatres, nor the taverns, but only in the
streets. None but the lowest class ever walk on foot,
others drive in carioles, and ladies of the highest rank
are borne in litters. They go without veils, with
their heads uncovered, and decorated with beautiful

artificial flowers. Indeed this custom of sticking
flowers in their hair is so prevalent, that I have known
a dirty old cook, running out to buy a garlic or a
cabbage, stop to adorn her grey locks with a flower.
The dress of the Chinese women consists of red or

green trowsers, embroidered with doloured silks, and
a jacket or upper garment., likewise embroidered.
Narrow shoulders and a flat bosom being regarded as
handsome, they bind a broad girdle tight over the
breast, by way of improving their figures.
The movement in the streets of Pekin begins with
break of day—that is, in summer at four o'clock, and
in winter at six, and the noise and bustle increases

till seven, when it is at its height. By nine or ten
o'clock •the whole city is asleep, the most profound
stillness reigns in the desolate streets, and only here
and there is seen the faint light of a paper lantern
fastened against a post.