Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-04-05
PRINCE KWAN KUNG.
THE CHINESE GOD OF WAR IN THE
TEMPLE AT LOS ANGELES.

myself by fasting and self denial"
On the first floor is the assembly room,
or guild hall, of the company, over the
door of which is a gilt inscription reading,
Honesty Is the bond of association" The
proper place Of worship is on the second
floor, constantly guarded by an old gray
haired Tao priest. On the veranda, over
the door, is a red tablet bearing the in.
scription, "Leet Shing Kung," or PAN
theon of the Holy Gods" Worship offered
at this temple Is accepted by all the gods.
On either side of the door are three red
tablets, with gilt Inscriptions. One chan.
delier and two lanterns of enormous size
hang from the ceiling. In a corner stands
the furnace where paper money and other
sacrifices are burned.
Entering the temple from the verands
we come to an isolated folded door that is
never opened except when the idol is car.
ried forth In procession. Over the door
hangsa magnificent monumental gateway
piece Of carved and gilded woodwork. II
Is a most artistic composition of miniature
temples, festooned with flowers, amid
which are throned the principal gods and
goddesscs of the Chinese pantheon. Be.
hind the folded doors are two affairs bear
ing the utensils of sacrifices, the joss STICKS
and the five sacred implements, consisting
of an urn, two candlesticks and two vases.
The front of the affairs Is set with e]abo.
rate carved work representing scenes oil
feudal times, the pageantry Of royal courts
or figures Of sages and kings, illustrious
generals and statesmen, mingled with
gorgeous peaoooks and fabulous birds.
After passing the two affairs, with theil
costly service of urns, censers, bowls anG
vases, we stand in front of the high altar,
which contains five images, the highest
being Kwan Kung, the god Of war. The
four images below him are Ju Chong,
his %bodyguard and grand executives; VI
Tung, his grand secretary, who records al
the doings of men, and two ~lieutenants
This shrine is of beautifully carved wood
decorated with embroidered draperies and
tinseled ornaments. Before the shrine q
flame is always burning, and bits of light.
ed punk make a pleasant aroma. Two
halberds, about 10 feet long, stand in
front of the high altar. There is also q
stand of miniature battlefags of various
colors. In a corner is another stand, con.
tanning a bass drum and a heavy bell, used
to wake the god or call his attention when
worshipers are present.
The walls are adorned with bright col.
ored tablets bearing eulogistio inscrip.
tons to the gods. One in crimson reads,
THY grace abounds like ocean waves" A
purple tablet says, 1.-The breath of the
gods fills heaven and earth"
A Chinese temple has no fixed time for
religious services. The worshiper ONE
when he has something to pray about.
Family sickness, adverse fortune or some
risky business undertaking drives him tc
the oracle. AS he enters he lights his can,
dies and incense, kneels upon a mat in
front of the altar and calls upon the god
by namo three times. The priest then
takes up two semioval blocks Of wood
called yum yueng puey, bows toward the
idol, says his litany and losses them up.
The success of his supplications depends
upon the position In which these blocks
fall. If they both fall in tho same posi-.
rion, the god is not at home or is in a BAD
mood. If the blocks fall one with the flat
side turned up and and the other with the
fiat surface turned down, the god is sup.
posed to be ready to listen. The worshipel
now knocks his head three times three
upon the floor and offers up his petitions.
h done, the priest takes a cylindrical
bamboo pot containing bamboo slips about
Is inches in length, each marked with q
number. These arc called sticks of fate
and are shaken together, with the nds
turned to the idol, till one is jostled out.
The priest or temple keeper looks at the
number, consults his books and hunts uI
the answer given to the mans prayer.
Tho drum beats, and the bell tolls.
Offerings of imitation paper money are
burned in the furnace and are miraculous.
ly changed by the fire into spiritual cash.
1t takes only about ten minutes to burn
candles, incense and paper money, say his
prayers, cast his lot and DO on his way
home.
OF all the gods worshiped by the Canton.
csc in America Kwan Kung is the most
popular. He is the hero of their ballads,
novels and dramas. the embodiment OF
Chinese patriotism. In fife he was a dis.
tinguishcd general, who, during the reign
of the Emperor Lau Poy, conquered the
various tribes then inhabiting the country
and welded them into one great Chinese
empire, called the Middle Flowery King.
dom. 1t was not until 800 years after his
death, however, that he became a god.
The occasion Of his canonization is said
to nave been the drying up of the salt wells
IN the province of Shansi, a calamity that
caused widespread misery. The emperor
and his ministers are said to have prepared
written prayers, which were burned and
conveyed to heaven in the smoke. An
hour had scarcely elapsed when, as the leg.
end says, Kwan Kung, riding his red
charger, appeared in the midheaven and
informed his majesty that his petitions
could not be granted till a temple was
erected to his honor. No time was lost.
Hundreds of masons were set to work
and when the top stone was set in it's place
the wells once more yielded their supplies.
1t Is said that during the rebellion OF
1856 the hero appeared to the commander
In chief of the imperial forces, directing
the plan for the campaign and assisting 10
the battle that led to the overthrow of the
rebels at Nankin. Grateful for this inter.
position, the Emperor Hen Tung placed
him on the same rank with Confucius in
the national pantheon, and Kwan Kuna
was henceforth known as the god of war,
whose full %apotheosis title is the Faithful,
Brave and All Compassionate Prince
Kwan Kung, the god of war.
MARsHFIELD, Wis, April BIN &C.
cordance with a bill passed by the legis.
lature appropriating $10,0 600 with which
to purchase seed and feed to be distrib.
nted amonp tho fro err fforo,e 30 No.