The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-27
9nasFsp,t gntelligsaess.
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.
Interior OF Temple In Snn Frano,sco--
Mock Money ana Fire-Crachers-A King
of Hell Two Feet High.
San francisco Chronicle.

the gods and gOddesses is more ostenta
tious and impressive on this occasion
than upon any other. Almost all the
deities,i in the mythology are propitiated al
this season with various kinds of offer.
ings, sacrifices and observances, and nc
one of the many imposing and expensive
festivals throughout the year presents q
better opportunity ofwitnessing Chine.e
worship. For several days previous to
New Years the usual preparations for
the celebration were in active operation
stores were decorated, the cooks Al the
restaurants and elsewhere were exercis.
ing their culinary skill in preparing the
most acceptable and choicest yiands, and
China town, in fact, was all hustle and
joyous expectancy. The two temples in
San Francisco were visited during the
week by great many worshipcrs who
laid offerings OF artificial flowers cut out
of tinsel paper and fastened 20 thin BAN.
boo splints on the shrine of various di.
whites exposed for worship. The divn.
tiles not so exposed, for want of roo.l-
all necessarily in mniature-were care.
fully laid away on shelves, protected by
iron wire, some distance in front Of th4
shrine in each temple. The temple
dedicated to the worship Of the Pearly
Emperor, Supreme Ruler-the Chinese
Jupiter-on Clay street, between kcarny
and Dupont, opposite the Plaza, is kept
in excellent order, and contains, oi
course, all tho sacred vessels and utcn-
sils necessary for performing the cere-
monies. 1t is room on the third story
about twenty feet long and twelve feet
wide, with two more rooms behind it for
the use of acolytes and servants, and to
which the priests sometimes resort for
rest and smoking opium. In all Chinese
cities of any consequence the temple of
this deity is from five hundred to thou
sand feet long and several hundred feet
wide. On entering this small temple in
San Francisco the visitor stands in front
of two a.tars, one behind the otter, and
behind both is the shrine or recess in
which the god is seated on a throne, which
is scarcely perceptible from the profusion
of artificial flowers and various offerings
of n more or less ornamental character
which are placed Mt his feet.nnd suspcn-
dcd around the recess. Along the walls
eight on one sido and nine on the other
are bronze croziers, or what looked like
croziers. On the first altar is large
bronze urn for burning license, and on
the other side Of the urn arc three large
flower vases of composition metal, each
three feet high, and Immediately behind
the urn are three large candles four feet
long, together with large stick of fra
grant incense. Within this altar. on
shelf covere' with iron wire, are the
numerous divinities above mentioned.
The second altar ia in every way similar
to the first, with the exception that the
urn and flower vases are smaller. From
the roof, between the two nltars, is sus-
pended chandelier, IN which one or
c::S !"S!.s ::c IIor: constantly Burning
We now come to the shrine in which the
god is enthroned. 1t is a recess about
six foet high, four feet wide and about
three feet deep. The god himself as
seated on his throne, is about three feet
high, the head adorned with q crown
OF gold; that is to say, of gold leai. The
face OF The god has contour of the best
type of Mongolian physiognomy, mild
benignant expression, and thin, long,
blnck beard and inustache falling grace
fully over his chin and chest. before
the shrine is an urn, in which taper is
constantly burning; on the right of it is
suspended bell as large as one of our
small church bells, claimed to be ,,.un-
dred years old Mt least, and fixed in n
frame over the bell is drum, both used
in summoning woEshipers on due occa-
slons to the temple. Turning to leave
the temple we observe to the right ofth
staircase, IN o corner, what looks like a
very small bakers oven with a small
square aperture in each of its sides.
This Is used for burning mock none;
and mock clothing, etc. Mock money
.s small pieces of paper painted TO look
like silver or gold, as the case may be.
The meek money or mcci. clothing or
other mock articles Ia forwarded to the
spirit in Hades by their relatives on
earth by burning 1t in the oven, where
by the potency of O certain formula or
prayer, it is transmitted into the pre-
cious metal 1t represents, and 30 received
Dy the spirit, whom can purchase with
1t whatever he wants in the internal re-
b.Vu5. The s500Ia ti ten pie 10 Uu Dupont
street, ara is dedicated to several gods
and godoesses, who have their respective
shrines, like that of the Pearly Empe.
ror, Supreme Ruler just described. Like
the other temple, 1t contains great
number of other diviaities in miniature
who are kept on shelf in the saine
manner as in the temple of tho Chinese
-Jove; it also contains two altars In front
ofthe shrines like those In the former
and in many respects alike, save that the
sacred furniture a"d the temple itself,
and indeed the whole parephernalia of
sacred belongings, are Of kind much
inferior to those in tho temple of the
Pearly Emperor, Supreme Ruler. tn
this temple are three shrines, each dec.
GRATED liko that of the Chinese Jove, and
each about the aame dimension. In the
midle shrine arc three goddesses.
Mother" the greateot of all goddesses.
being the middle divinity, having on her
right the Goddess Of Mercy, and on her
left the Goddess of Sailors. The diyin.
tiles are of wood, painted in dark col
or, about two feet high, Of no particular
expression OF c0untenance, and decked
profusaly with artificial flowers, and hay-
ing e&ci q robe OF red colored paper over
her neck and shoulders. In inches on
either aide Of these diyinities, but in the
same shrine, is the God of Beasts, the
God of War, tho God Confessor, the Tod
of Water, the "Divine Tiger" the Stop
I Devil, with bell in hand to frighten away
evil spirits, and the God of Fire. In the
ahrine on the right is the God Of Doctors
:. s.-5. :a: s:;.... ......l. ~.
Pill, a, in tho shrine on the left is the
God OF Wealth, with a handful of gold
which with benign expression, he
otfers 70 his worshipers. In niche in
the wall close to the door IL one of the
4 Ton Kings of He'll, gFimy idol two feet
.high ssith laughing face, who prevents
evil spirits from entering the temple.
and 10 little shrine to hiR right, on the
! ;.oor, is his policeman, the Little Devil.
+. calender ifnp two feet iiirh who aidatba
, King i'm excluding the evil ones; and on