Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-11
CUSTOMS IN CHINA.
An Interesting Letter From a Mis-
Sionary in the Orient.
STORY OF TIE CITY OF TUNGCHOW
Instances of the Habit Cinnamon have of
Doing Things Backward.
WOMEN HAVE A HARD TINE OF 1T

The following letter comes to THE DIS
PATCH from Mr.. William o. Elterieh, a
Missionary, under date of Tungchow, near
Cheetoo, China, November l, 1890. 1t will
interest everybody, particularly Mr.. FL
terich's many friends:
As We have been living almost a year in
Tungchow:1 imagine have picked up some
things that will interest your readers. First
let me tell you about this place. A Chinese
province is divided into ten fus (counties)
and each III usually into ten hiens (districts).
Tungchow lies in Punghai Hien. The
word Punghai denotes plant that grows
among the wheat, the leaves of which are
good to eat; they also form the name OF
species OF rush. According to Buddhist
table the abode of the gods and saints is a
mountain on an island in the Eastern Sea
and both the island and mountain are called
Punghai.
The Emperor WI Ii, OF the Hsu dynasty,
(B. c. 1850, travelled about in the hope
of reaching this abode of the blessed.
Among other places, he visited this place,
and from a point one ii (one-third mile)
north ofthe present Hien Yamen ii. e., Dis
trict Court) he made his observations to dis
cover the happy island among the group to
the north of US. To commemorate his visit
he ordered that a wall should be built
around the town, and that the name should
hencetorth be called Punghai-the name
probably only applying to the city. This
name it appears to have retained about ], 400
years. When Hung WI (founder of the
Ming dynasty, A. D. 1870, organized the
present system OF fus and hiens. this hien
took the name of Punghai, and the town
was called TungchowfuelIng-the city of the
fu of Tungchow, which names they now
bear. It's area is ,134 square miles. Some
time before 1900 B. c. a ruler named Chin
Shing held sway here.
Products of the Soil.
Grain and vegetables are the chief produc-
tions. Among grains nigh be mentioned
wheat, corn, millet, buckwheat, etc., kao
lang ii. e., high grain" a species OF
sorghum). Among vegetables are prin-
eipally sweet potatoes. cabbage, beans,
yams, spinach, egg plants, and many others
of which 1 do not know the name. 1 forgot
to mention various kinds of onions leeks,
ETC., of which the Chinese are very fond,
and with which they become thoroughly
saturated. Among fruits might be men,
TONED Gudging from what we have at our
table) cherries, small but good; apricots,
very good; nectarines, plums small apples,
pears, insipid; grapes, melons, pome-
gralates and perslmmons Every large and
delieiOus), etc.
In January, 80, the population was as
follows: Thehien, 81 $50 families, or 25S,-
2OS persons, with excess of q, ,24S males;
Tungchow City, 80. .251; Tungchow City and
Water City and suburbs, 40, 219. Tungchow
Is really composed of two cities-the city
proper, and the Water City, separated from
1t BY small stream, though each is inclosed
by a separate wall. The wall of the city
proper was first built probably about 100 B.
c. 1t is described as three miles long, 35
feet high originally, but afterward raised
30 inches 1t has now four great gates-the
east gate called Ts'wun Seng, the "birth of
springs" the south gate, Chaotien, Cooking
toward heaven" the west gate, Yingan,
welcome mercy j. e. imperial
favor" the north gate, Chinhai, i. e.
TO 90 to the sea. The wall has q towers 3
wsDergales and % buttresses The wall of
the Water City is about l mile long, 35 feet
high and II feet wide. 1t has one gate on
the south called Chingang, i. e., Prevail
AT the north end is a gateway allowing
jumps to pass into the Little Sea-" as the
harbor within the wall is called, This
gateway was formerly furnished with an
iron sliding gate, defending the passage
from piratical intrusion, and with a bridge
across 1t called: 'Tien k'ao,' j. e., Heavens
Bridge
Its Military Importance.
In former times when pirates ravaged the
coast, this was Of considerable importance as
military post In the Water City, on various
islands and at different points along the
shore, camps were formed. In 1892, A. D.,
when the Coreans came to rayage the coast,
great preparations were made, and soldiers
brought here from all quarters; and again
when the japanese repeatedly pillaged the
province in 1888, 1506 and 1922. Time and
again rebellion has broken out and tried the
courage Of the people and military here.
The people OF this town are to be praised
in that from the initiation of the literary
examinations ], $50 years ago, the schools
have been well attended, SO that there is a
pretty general diffusion of the knowledge of
letters For students competing for the
first degree of "Shin Tsai," the K'ao Yueu
or Tsa Yuen Examination halO is thrown
open twice In three years. OF the whole
number that compete, 20 are allowed to at
tain the honor. just at present one of these
examinations is in session, and there are
1000 to 5000 students in the citv. Mapy
who attain the first degree rest satisfied with
which render them superior to the common
people, such as exemption from ignominious
punishment in the courts, as in China
knowledge is supposed to be able TO secure
rectitude. They are permitted to hold Office
and may also assist at the stated worship or
ldolizing of COnfucius in the K'ung Tsz
Miao, or Temple of Confucius.
Sixty Large Temples.
The whole number Of temn1es in tba c;t,,
and suburbs to distance of three miles, in
cluding street shrines. is 80, go of which are
large temples. The Tavuist are the favor
lte and most numerous, showing that Bud
dhlsm is in the decline here. MANY of the
Buddhist temples are nothing but ruins, and
rapidly going to destruction. 1t is a for
lorn sight to see the old dilapidated idols
with the roofs above them falling in. -ex-
posing them TO the weather. Many of these
idols are OF mud, and often are minus a
nose or hand or arm or head. They make
quite comic appearance. Our own house,
or, rather, place, is called Tung Ia TIE. i.
e., the Great East Temple, which it former
lY was, and in the building back of our ward
the old temple building-there ar. large
gilded images of Buddha, looking benignly
about them. The college building was for
merly Buddhist temple of the Goddess of
Mercy, the idols of which the missionaries
buried at the foot of q tree in the yard,
The temple of the god of wealth is one of
the fsvorite temples indicating the char
acter of the people who have. for their chief
aim gain, and care but little for religion.
and thus differ from the people in the west
ern part of the province, many of whom
are very religious, forming themselves into
religious societies. This Indifference to re-
Iglon makes missionary work very difficult