The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02
CELEBRATING 60 HING.
Queer Chinese Festival That Comes Once
in Three Years


Of Kong Chow, on Pine street, the home
OF the company OF that name. has been
the scene OF the most intense activity
Crowds of eager Chinese continually pour
IN and out through the open door. The
halls and rooms are so thronged with
sightseers, both white and yellow, that
locomotion is a difficult operation. The
cause OF all this excitement Is the cele-
bration of the Chinese festival Go Hing"
IL Is an event peculiar 10 the Kong CHOW
Company. and as IL comes but once IN
three years its celebration must be all
tne more elaborate. 1t is religious festl-
val and prayers and Thanksgiving form
the principal features of the ceremonies.
The rooms where the ceremonies are
being held, like all Chinese apartments
seem to have been laid out without re-
gard TO architecture or convenience. They
are deliberately decorated in a purely
Chinese style. Electric lights, the only
Things about the place to suggest Ameri-
can civilization, are strung along the
walls and ceilings wherever practicable
Music is constantly heard in all the dis
cordsnt sounds so pleasing to the ORR
entail ear. Idols and josses are set UP
IN every corner for the faithful TO pray
10 or the inquisitive to gaze upon.
IN one OF the inner rooms the main
altar Is erected, gorgeous in its Oriental
wealth of color and piled high with curl
ousiy carved images, waxen figures. fans
and featherw. Befort it FIVE. brilliant
dressed priests pray necessarily. They
seem 10 be trying to square all the sins
before the sacred shrine and keep up a
an on wooden box and what looks
ne hollow iron pot. Within the pre-
cincts OF the altar rail. which includes
most OF the room it is sacrilege of the
worst, character for a woman to be found
ohould she step on the consecrated
sr0uhd 1t is AT once defled and prayers
without number and offerings Of untold
value would be necessary to cleanse the
pIace or Its desecra tion. WHY Il Is SO
n one or the Chinese can explain; but
, y. ~ 80, anu IN experimentation the con-
Venlence OF the religious female element
iaules gallery, or something which an
sMeIs the same purpose, is erected. and
nv. mere the chinese women sit and listen
10 the priests chant and racket
In a little nook under a stairway q
sou, mace wholly Of white paper, is
standing, surrounded by suffering in
v gGiHhse' ana holding, in one hand a fan
" tn Whlch 1t hides fits face II is
eNldently a god OF a superior quality
anu much power, for fat-loolIing Chi
nese,, wearing a white straw hat. is on
6 eua Vi, constantly, and warns away any
one VINO comes too near, unless he comes
10 Josh, as the Chinese alteration il
VulgarIy called. The reason for ali this
f Ca 6a is the fan and not the god, for
70 whatever lucky mortal steals the fan
all the luck and blessings which iue
white paper god controls will 90 The
| thet must steal the fan without detec-
,ion' and II he does 80 the fan and the
| luck are his, but. should he be 9arght
| IN the act, there would be lively times
in the Kong Chow house. In China ba
would probably be killed. perhaps ne
wonia be Similarly dealt with here. and
| yet three years ago one Chinese did
actually steal the fan, despite the risk
~ was guarded by a white man then:
| ms time 1t Is wached by a Chinese. The
IAN is small one of the palm leaf
| variety, and to look al IL no one would
suspect its wondrous potency. The loss
demands that he and his fan be made
accessible every three years. otherwise
the Kong elbows would keep him in the
themselves.
Along the walls are yards Of red paper
curiously scrubbed over with Chinese
characters. They contain a record of
every one yho contributed money for the
festival and the amount Of the contribu-
Hlon; rms evening all these records
VIII be torn down from the walls. and
In the centre Of the main room they
VIII be heaped up and set on fire When
completely burned the ashes will be
swept together with a new broom into
new dustpan, and will be put into a
new jar and presented TO the Kong Show
Company They will dispose of these
precious relics as they see fit. Around
dainties, and when the blaze dies down
and the ashes are safely housed In the
jar the doors will be opened 10 the rab-
pie, and the hungry crowd will be al
lowed to fight for the food This grand
rough and-tumble fight, for into such it
always develops, will end the festival OF
Go Hing and the gaudy decorations Will
be put away to await another event of
similar magnitude.
The decorations used at the present fes-
tival are valued at $4,000 The prevail
ing color is red, but green and gold are
lavishly displayed wherever the circum-
stances warrant. Some curious plant
forms are among the curioslties-vines.
grown on human shapes Of wire; trees
with their tops trimmed fiat like tables;
bamboo stalks, bent and twisted into all
kinds OF fantastic shapes. A few fine
specimens OF chrysanthemums are shown
Scenes from the history Of China and
from some of the great Chinese dramas
are hung from the ceiling with ropes,
each figure being made Of wax and every
scene with twenty or more figures In IL.
Hanging from the ceiling, too, are great
lamps, aud around the galleries, with
which they are encircled. miniature fl
cures are going round and round moved
by modern electrical motors BESIDES the
entrance are two gigantic warriors, one
armed with huge club and the other
with a great curved sword. Their eyes
bulge from their sockets and a fierce,
demoniac look is on their faces They are
supposed TO guard the doors and to keep
the evil spirits from entering the place.
That is, they Will keep the evil spirits
out il proper alteration is made at their
shrine; otherwise they will keep the good
spirits out and invite I'm the evil ones.
During the festival the members OF the
Kong Chow Company are not supposed TO
eat any animal food whatever, so upon
its conclusion tonight a big banquet will
he spread and the festival will end with
feasting and revelry. There is no charge
for admission and thousands of whites
as we'll as Chinese have passed in and
out between the two guarding WARRIORS
San Francisco Chronicle.
Som ething New In 1enkeys.