The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-02-19
CHINESE ETIQUETTE.
Blgns OF Progress In the Flowery
Kingdom.
49, Emperor Inaugurates Some New
Measures and Gives Yearly Audi
enccs to the Ambassadors
of other Countries.


enccs to the Ambassadors
Of other Countries.
"A decree has been issued at Pelsin an
uuncing that the Emperor will grant
= yearly audience to all foreign Minis
onss.
That is not much in itself, says the
1gew York Sun, but, taken with SINH
lar piece of news from Siam a few
smOnths ago that the King had decreed
that his mobiles need no longer approach
him on their stomachs, 1t goes to indi-
scAtc that what we call Western civiliza-
-tion is beginning to work even among
kSs most conservative Of peoples.
The Emperor of China is the might
ies& of all rulers, in his own estimation.
He Is s"rhe Son of Heaven and Father
sUf His People," equal to the gods whom
he graciously consents to worship, and
'4uite above the necessity of being po-
lite to representatives of foreign Gov
Grnments. So, only occasionally, when
he feels as if he'd like to look at the
sforeign DEVILS" has he ever granted
Rudiences to the Ambassadors and Min
Sisters from other countries; and his new
sdeparture is, therefore, particularly
sstrilking, and in its nature very strong
frecedent for his successors. In fact, if
she really does as he says he will do, his
successors will have to follow hlm; for
9he customs of the Chinese are as the
laws of the Medes and Persians-they
alter not, unless the Emperor has
ssnind to change them.
A feature Of the so-called audiences"
which up to 1878 were granted to the
Foreign Ministers, was the ceremony Of
the kowtow, insisted on by the Chinese
court functionaries, generally resisted by
the foreign Ministers, occasionally, and
since 1878 always, graciousiy waived by
Tho son of heaven and the father OF his
people. 1t was an abasement to the
ground of the body Of person ap-
Eroaching the Majesty Of China, and
Knocking of the head Of that person
upon the ground certain number Of
4imes to satisfy the demand of court
aEfiquette; and, like 80 many other
ufhings in China, it was founded by Con-
1ucius, though the sage's book, "Li-Ki,"
sdDesnt say q word about It
The word kowtow Ut is spelled also
1notow, kotou, kotoo, kootoo, kotau,
'1Ecti, and has been adopted into the En-
N7ish language) is derived from two
chinese words, k'ow row, meaning
"a knocking Of the head" It is the
Eighth and highest grade of obeisance,
rendcred only to the Emperor and his
equals, the gods, and though we speak
-Df It always as the kowtow, that name
ID applied properly only to the fifth
Uxade. That consists of lkneeling and
Knocking the head once upon the
ground. The sixth grade is the san kao;
The performer kneels and knocks his
Dead three times. The seventh grade
D the luh kao; It consists in
Aneeling and knocking, the head
Ghrzce, rising, kneeling again and
Knocking the head three times more.
Lhe eighth grade is the san kwei kiu
zrno. which is the kowtow performed
8hree times. All the time, too, that the
Aan kwei kiu kao, the 'three kneelings
nnd nine knockings," is going on the
amperial band plays to the tune lung
ping. ''a splendid humiliation" Alto
gether, the Chinese mobiles who have
the privilege of an audience must be
'dsvoutely grateful that the Emperor is
mo higher than the immortal gods.
Now this kowtow (meaning the obei-
1ance of the highest grade) is per-
2prmed by the Kings Of Cochin China,
Kurea and other tributary States when
sfAey are confirmed by the Emperor in
Eheir succession to their thrones, and as
Hr John Francis Davis in his book on
Niana points out, Is exactly the same as
Ehe homage performed by tenants in
Nnpate in the feudal times, and there
Aore is an overt recognition Of the EN-
Rssor of China as over-lord Of the per-
SON making the kowtow. For this
1pnson the Ministers and Legates Of for
~agn Governments have almost invaria-
61yrefused to perform the ceremony; and
though the Chinese officials have insist
1d In most instances they have had to
1tsld on the point, and the "audiences," I"
- which yellow curtain did duty for
xhe Emperor, were not enltvened bv
Ehe spectacle Of gentlemen In gold
1nced uniforms or In dress suits kneel-
ang ungraciously and rufaing both shirt
xxUnts and tempers In acrobatic per-
0DEmances for which their garments
were not adapted.
The Dutch Ambassadors In 1855 per-
4Drmed the kowtow before the yellow
acurtain, hoping to receive valuable con-
sessions for trade. They had been told
.fhak the Emperor would send them
food from his own table; they got
some sleeps trotters on dirty plate"
1V way of food from the Emperor's ta-
6le. and further received permission to
end an embassy every eight years and
10w ships with it. Again In 1899 the
Che Dutch Ambassador abased himself,
but Holland got no greater benefits
4nm the Chinese than did other
rsountries whose representatives had
not kowtowed. In 1708 the first
Ambassador from Great Brit
nin, Lord Mccartney, had an
Iaience with the yellow curtain, and
IA mot do either the kowtow or san
4wed kiu kao; but when Lord Amherst
Exived In China in 1915 the ceremony
Hns demanded Of him, and on his re-
...n