San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-04
VILLAGE LIFE IN CHINA.
The Rural Celestial in All His Oriental
Glory.

GLORY.
Some one has said that there are more
villages in China than in any other
country on the face of the globe, and
strangely enough the Chinese villages
are grouped in clusters, usually three or
four, and frequently half a dozen.
A sojourn of q month in an isolated
Chinese village-for instance, that of
Shang Hong Lee-gives one opportu-
nifty to study the rural celestial in all his
oriental glory. The visitor seeking the
gate of Shang Hong Lee will find
it in the beautiful valley Of See
Kue in the Hoy Sing district Of
the Kwong Sing province, Of which
the well-known city of Canton is
the capital. 1t lies about 90 miles
southwest of Canton and about 100
miles west of Hong Kong. thas about
400 inhabitants.
The hundred or more houses in the
village of Shang Hong Lee are all of the
same size, of same height and front the
same way. The people do not want to
obstruct one another with their houses
of uneven height from the view of the
valley which lies in front of the village.
Back of this village is forest of trees
and bamboos. In front is a large fish
pond. On the right is an assembly hall
where the men and children of the vii
lage congregate. Here the men smoke
their tobacco pipes and chat for hours
in the evening. On the left is the large
ancestral hall. The school is held in
this building. One of the gates to the
village is at this place, the other is in
front of the assembly hall.
Everyone in the village is a relative
of the other, all bearing the family name
of "Jee," being the descendants of Jee
Pong Dang and Jee Pong Duke, two
brothers who emigrated there about
200 years ago. Invariably the Chinese
give their family name first. For in
stance, in the case of Jee Gam, Jee is
the surname and Gam the given name.
The Chinese say they show greater re-
spect and honor to their parents by
mentioning their name first.
The principal productof the village is
rice, two crops of which are planted
each year. One is called the dry or
early crop, beginning in February and
March, to be harvested in June. The
other is called the wet and late crop, be-
ginning in June and July, the gathering
of which is in October. After the last
crop of rice has been harvested, the
blowing of the fields at once begins;
then the farmer commences planting
vegetables, and thus he keeps on work
ing, industriously and patiently, the
whole year round.
In the village home life the oldest per-
son in the household is the head of the
family-that is, if the grandfather or
grandmother are living; but If they are
dead, then the husband or father be-
comes the head, but the wife or mother
is always consulted in all important
matters. She is not a slave, as great
many people in this country suppose;
for the word wife in Chinese means one
equal. She is really the helpmate to
her husband. The home is absolutely
presided over by her. The parents sup
port and educate their sons as far as
they are able. In return the sons honor,
support and take care of them as long
as they live. When the oldest son mar
ries, then his wife takes charge of the
household affairs. His mothers rest
then begins, and continues during the
remainder of her life. The daughters
are not educated, generally, for the peo-
pie think that their education is hardly
a necessity. When they reach the 18th
summer they generally marry and then
leave their parental roof, and are well
coined to the homes of their husbands.
The young ladies all marry, and there
are no old maids in China. The be-
trothment of the young people is made
by the parents; but the sons have to
give their consent first.