The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-03-14
AN EMPEROR'S BRIDE.
Marriage OF the Chinese Emperor-En-
gagement Edicts-The Imperial Boys

Marriage Of the Chinese Emperor-En-
gagement Edicts-The Imperial Boys
Habits.
The following is from the san Fran
cisco Call Of February 9th, the day
after the marriage Of the Emperor Of
China:
The great social event Of the Chinese
Empire Is the marriage Of the boy En-
peror, whose bride was selected last
December Over a million tongues in
the Celestial Empire were set wagging
when the announcement was made that
the august Emperor of the kingdom had
selected a bride and several consorts, in
accordance with the custom Of the coun-
try. The announcement of the wedding
was conveyed in the following edicts
issued by the Empress Dowager:
The Emperor having reverently sue
ceeded to mis- exalted inheritance and in
creasing day by day in maturity, ii is be-
coming that he should select a virtuOus
cOnsOrt to assist in the administration Of
the palace, to control the members Of
his household and TO encourage the En-
therefore, let Ho-Na-La, a daughter OF
Deputy Lieutenant General Kuei Hsiang,
whom we have selected for her dignihed
and virtuous character, become En-
press"
Further edict"
''Let Ta-Ta-La, aged fifteen years,
daughter of Chan Hsii, formerly Vice
President OF a board, become the sec
ondary consort Of the first rank, and Let
Ta-Ta-La, aged thirteen, also daughter
OF Chang Hsm, formerly NicePresident
OF a board, become Imperial cOncubine
of the second rank"
Respect this
\ MANCHURIAN MAIDEN.
There is a great deal involved in this
marriage, and a question is settled which
has been agitatihg the Chinese Court for
IA long time China has been ruled for
more than three centuries by the Man
churians. The Emperor is a full-blOOded
Manchu 1t is prescribed by the laws
OF the court that he shall wed no one but
a Manchu maiden, and for several years
past the daughters of distinguished
Manchu nObiemen have been sent to
Peking in order that the Empress Dow
ager, who has had charge of the affairs
of Government, might select such as
seemed good for the imperial harem.
Inspections were held every week, and
each Chinese maiden We'd with her sister
in looking her best.
THE FINAL CHOICE.
Finally the choice was made, and the
above edicts were issued. The boy EN-
peror had but little 10 say in the matter.
The Empress DoWager had control Of
everything, and whatever selection she
] 81 ,T1lxr fJn.
Emperor was not allowed to run at large
in his youth, and become enamored OF
anv fair maiden who might not have had
the advantages which the other Manchu
girls had
1t had been decided by the Board Of
Rites and Ceremonies that the wedding
festivities should be carried out in as
economical a manner as possible. At
any rate the affair, it is conceded, will
cost 100000 taels, which is somewhat
over $4,000, 900. The wedding is, with
one exception, the only one of an En-
peror in this way since 1914. In 1872
the last Emperor, Tung Chi, was mar
ried in gorgeous Oriental style.
Manchu girls consider it great favor
to be taken into the royal palace, and
i, In: - families regard it as great honor:
Girls who nave III tthus served in the royal
household find no difficulty in SCI ..i my
husbands among the Chinese mobiles.
THE YOUNG EMPEROR.
The boy Emperor is now II years of
age. He is described as a slender, yell
low-faced, Acknowledged, black-queued
young Tartar, who likes fun as much as
any other boy in any other part of the
world. The same correspondent who
describes him says that he rises at 2
o'clock in the morning, and takes light
breakfast at 2 80. BY 3 O'Clock he is
ready for work. He receives his Minis
tiers up to 6 O'Clock, and he then starts
out to perform his holy duties. At II
o'clock he takes his second breakfast,
and he dimes later in the day, going to
bed very early. He is allowed liberal
bill OF fare, and his eunuchs watch him
closely to see that he does not eat too
much. 1t costs a great deal of money to
support the royal palace, aggregating in
all several hundreds of thousands of dol
lars annually.