The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-01


aries on the Sabbath, and on several evenings
| during the week. Services are conducted each
| Sabbath according to the Roman Catholic
form At the French Legation, in Episcopal a.
the British Legation, and in the forms OF sne
Greek Church at the Russian Legation. me
Roman Catholic mis- issionaries have two very
fine churches for the worship OF Chinese con-
verts within the walls of the city, and AZ these
churches You may observe the aotuai eVi
dences of beneficial missionary effort IN re-
spectacle congregations OF male ana Ieinsis
Chinese, clad in comfortable costume, ana
paying devout attention to the services
coNFUc1AN TEMPLBs-RoYAJ REGISTRY.
Confueian temples abound in China. The
largest and finest is in Pekin, and is said to
contain a portrait OF the great moralist.
Worshirs on celebrations may be held here at
intervals, but Confucius ordained no Sabbath
or particular day of worship or rest. The
ceremonies of state are oondu 5ted at Confu-
clan temples, and in this the register OF the
present dynasty is kept, where each Emperor
may register his name upon ascending the
throne. In the courtyard are some trees
said to be five hundred years old, and some
drum-shaped stones dating eight hundred
years B. g. There are great many tablets
OF marble, full of inscriptions in the Chinese
classics so well cut that, it ia said,
copies have been printed from them. Ii
any Chinese temple is dedicated to God, 1t is
the Temple of Heaven, at Pekin. The most
solemn worship of the empire was formerly
conducted in this temple. 1t is grand
structure, erected on an immense altar of
marble construction, surrounded by balus-
trades OF the same material beautifully carved.
The grounds are a mile square, surrounded by
high wall, and within the inolosure paved
walks, fine avenues of trees, and grassy lawns
afford a delightful retreat from the dust OF
Pekin. The building is circular in form, and
has three-story roof, covered with blue
enamelled tiles, surrounded by large gilt
ball, and is by far the most striking piece
of architecture in the vicinity of Pekin. The
Bmperors of China formerly made an annual
visit here for the purpose of worshipping the
invisible God, and the ceremonies were pre-
ceded by fasting three days in an adjoining
building, and were attended with burnt offer
iDgs in the altar, which retains marks of the
sacrifcial fires.
TEMPLE OF EARTH.
Opposite to the Temple of Heaven, in
similar enclosure a mile square, is the Temple
OF Earth, dedicated to the worship of the earth
and its products, or the Genius of Agricul-
ture, where tradition says the Emperor for
merly encouraged that noble pursuit by
ploughing and sowing with his own hands;
but it has been long time since plough or
hoe either have performed service at this
shrine, as the whole place is in ruins, and the
ground so grown up with weeds and grass
agricultural implements on exhibition here
look as if they had been preserved in the ark.
LAMA TEMPLES.
The Lama temples, or Lamissries, are very
interesting to o stranger. The worship ls
Buddhist, under the leadership of the Grand
Lama of Thibet, who is the recognized head OF
his religion, as the Pope is the head of the
Roman Catholic Church. The priests are
mostly Mongolians, and these establishments
are literally pensioned by the Chinese Gov
eminent for reasons of state policy. Some Of
the Lamisares contain over thousand priests,
and these are also nurseries of the order. |
was warned OF the danger to foreigners Of
entering the sacred precincts of Lama
temple, but found them very civil. The bell
was tolliug for afternoon service, and / was
politely shown to q seat. The candles
were burning on the altar, and directly
the house was filed with hundreds of priests,
dressed in yellow robes, wearing cap of the
same color, shaped like helmet, with a
cameps hair fringe arched over the top. AS l
! did not understand word Of the service, my
mind was captivated by the music of the
chant, carried by hundreds of men and boys,
! from the deepest bass to the finest tenor--it5
scale was superior to anything had imagined
| possible here. | was rewarded for my devo-
tion by sight of an image of Buddha, seven
ty.fve feet high and went away much i'm.
pressed by the earnestness and simplicity of
the Lama worship.
MoHAMMBDAN MOSQUE.
A Mohammedan mosque also appears within
the imperial walls, and has a story SO senti-
mental that it must be- extraneous to China.
| A former emperor had Persian wife, who
! pined for something to remind her of her
native land, as all hope of returning there
had been relinquished upon entering her i'm
| perial prison, and to please the disconsolate
| lady the emperor caused a mosque to be
reared within sight of her palace windows,
that she might gaze upon the worship OF the
| Prophet. few Of the faithful worship here,
as China numbers among her subjects large
| populations of MOhammedans. 1t is remark
able that the oldest religion in the world il
not represented here--a Jewish synagogue
may be found in almost any other capital city
THE FOREIGN LEGATIONS.
The foreign legations established in Pekiu
are the British, French, Russian, American
Prussian, and Spanish, and their members
with a few missionaries and the employees il
the Imperial Maritime Customs, form the For
eign Society OF Peking, numbering 100 or IL
persons.
PEKIE Observation-Disclosures coNvEYAECRs
A few houses are built of brick; but tn
prevailing building material is the adobe, a sun
dried brick, made in the same manner aB tn
lsraelites made them for the Egyptians. TIL
roofs Of the houses are generally covered will
tiles, and universally have the shape and in
I olination OF tent-cover-fOllOwing the custor
4 otthelr nomadic ancestors, who lived in tents
9 window glass Is almost unknown in Chinl
3 oiled paper being used as a substitute a6
L mltUpg light dimly. The streets are ur