The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-04-08
Installation Of the New Emperor Of
China.

SpOuucuC:
On Thursday a new Emperor assembled
the throne of China. The ceremonies
attendant upon such an occasion have
nothing in common with an event of the
same kind in Europe. In the West the
main feature of what takes place is the
amounting with oil and placing crown
upon the head, and hence we use the
word coronation" In China there
is no crown. The outward symbol of
sovereignty in that land is the "dragon
this which constitutes the ceremony.
The fivc-clawcd dragon is imperial, and
may be almost considered as pcrsonifi-
cation of the Emperor or of his power.
Whatever belongs to the Emperor is
called the dragons; hence the title of
the throne. When the vermilion pencil,
which is also called the "dragon's pencil, !"
is used upon imperial DEGREES, they then
appear in the Pekin Gazette as from the
throne" One of the most important de-
partments of State in Pekin is that
known as the Li-poo, or Board of
Rites. 1t has most voluminous
code of laws or rules of ancient date
to guide its proceedings. Part of this
LipOo, or at least most intimately con-
| nected with it, is the Astronomical
Board. At home here we have some
| very curious amalgamations of State Of
ices, but it would puzzle Westerncr to
tell why astronomy should be a part of
the Lord Chamberlain's functions. When
it is explained that the palace at Pekin
| is to this day in a condition something
like what we read of Pharaoh's in Egypt,
or Belshazzar's in Babylon, and has at
tached to it wizards, soothsayers, and
magicians, the matter begins to clear up.
The Board just mentioned is, in reality,
an astrological body, whose duty it is to
calculate lucky days, and fortunate
hours or minutes, to guide the Emperor
and his Government in their actions. One
of the rumors late ly current in China as
to why war was SO long in being declared
against Japan exclaimed that this Board
could not make up its mind as to the
lucky moment for doing so. It seems to
have been troubled with less difficulty in
finding felicitous day for the making
of the selected child into an Emperor.
The ceremonies on the occasion are
very elaborate, and they are more of
state official kind than religious in their
character. The proclamation of the
event is previously prepared, and at the
ceremony it is suspended from the beak
of the golden phoenix, and underneath
vase of the same metal is placed for its
reception. There is particular table
on which the imperial seal is laid in
readiness to be applied to the proclama-
ton. Musicians and incense bearers are
in attendance. When all is prepared
the chief of the Board of Rites con-
ducts the Emperor from his private
rooms to golden carriage; in this he
rides with attendants carrying banners,
insignia, etc. Prominent among these is
the imperial yellow dragon umbrella;
there is also an escort of body-guards.
Elephants should form part of this pro-
cession according to rule, but on the last
occasion it was said that they had all
died, and had to be dispensed with.
On reaching the throne hall the
head of the astronomical body announces
that the suspicious moment for ascend
Ing the throne of the Tai Ching Kwo, or
the Empire of Great Purity" has
come. The Emperor then ascends and
takes his seat, the proper position being
to sit facing the south. The incense
burning and music sounding, every one
present bows down to the ground aud
performs the kow-tow, which is the
knocking of the forehead nine times
upon the ground as an act of obeisance.
This is followed by taking the proclama-
ton from the beak of the phoenix, and
when it is sealed the ceremony is COM
plete. An Emperor has been evolved
into visible existence. He is not only
the "Son of Heaven" but he is also
"Vicegerent of all under heaven" The
means of producing such being seem
very simple, yet the result is most won
derful. BY this process MANN the
present case it is only a very small boy
is transformed into demi- god-at least
he is such to the Chinese. ..
The proclamation is printed and sent
to all parts of the Empire, and is re-
ceived and passed on by the officials with
about the same marks of homage which
are due to the Emperor's own presence.
Whenever it is read all go on their knees
and perform the kow-tow. In official
language this is making the event known
to all under heaven" Heaven, accord
ing to this, does not extend beyond the
margin of the Chinese Empire, for that
is the limit to which the intimation will
he sent that new whang-i, or EN-
peror, has come to the throne at Pekin.
If the Celestial officials seem to our
minds limited as to the extent to which
such news should be forwarded, they
amply make up for it in other ways. On
all important occasions, such as the
present, heaven is informed OF the
event. This is done by ceremony at
the Great Temple of Heaven. Sacrifice
and incense are offered, but the
mode of transmitting the information to
the upper world is not exactly known;
most probably it is by burning copy of
the proclamation, for according to Chi
nese ideas anything which is burnt as
cends in the smoke to Tien, or heaven,
and they have some peculiar religious
rites which are founded upon, this mo-
ton. At the Imperial Ancestral Temple
another ceremony is gone through to
inform the new Emperor's ancestors of
what has happened. At the Temple of
the Earth another ceremony is per
formed to let the earth know Of what
has taken place-it is the veritable earth |
to which this message is sent; "all under |
heaven" means the people under heaven. |
It seems that these rites are not cele-
brated by priests, but by princes. The
function is no doubt vicarious, as
they act for and represent the Emperor.
One telegram has put the new
Emperor's agc at three years, and another |
Mt FIVE The Axnlanation r. of thia In