The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-30
BURYING THE EMPEROR.
Etiquette and Funeral Ceremonies
of the Sovereign of China.


Etiouette is the Chinese religion. The
center of ritualism is the emperor, alive
ar dead. NJ. Oh. de Harlez of the French
Academy, one of the greatest authorities
en- China, drawing from the hundreds Of
volumes filed with a description of Chi
nese rites, has lately prepared fun ac.
count of all the imperial ceremonies, de.
veloped and added 10 from 71S A. D. to the
present time, dwelling at length upon tbs
funeral of the Emperor. Whether Kwang,
su has been assassinated or is still to be
hurried off, these are the rites to be OBJ
served, and they are so secret and so cas-.
lily postponed that he might be dead a
year before it was known outside of the
palace.
Immediately the Emperor dies, his sue.
cessor, with the other members of the i'm.
perial family, remove caps, head dresses
ornaments and plumes, and begin 10 sol
and leap for sorrow In this interval the
corpse is dressed and laid in state In the
great hall of the palace.
For a hundred days the family live in c
plain house outside of the palace, weai
coarse garments and leave the hair un-
combed. All of the sacrifices cease, save
that to Heaven and Earth" During the
twenty-seven months following mourning
is worm there is never a bouquet nor ans
music.
After various prostrations, lamentations
tea drinkings, waving of banners, etc, the
Emperor returns to his mourning house
bur etiquette compels him to visit the
corpse again and again during that first
day each time presenting the dead mar
with choice viands and making libations oil
wine.
Next morning, amid innumerable small
ceremonies, the will is brought in by the
supreme counsellors, and laid upon a yell
low table, whereupon the new sovereign
assumes his robes of state, orders the tam
BORNE to be struck five times as notifica-
ton that sacrifices are in order. This is
a prelude to the imperial cremation, or,
rather, burnt offerings, for during these
almost endless obsequies more than mill
ion pieces of paper money, with thousands
of sheep, bottles Of wine and sacrifcial
mats, are offered, accompanied by liba-
tons of tea on the part of the new EN-
peror or the priests in attendance.
Day after day the weeping prostrations
and offerings, accompanied by new pray
ers, take place, with the mandarins and
princesses in attendance. Each one has a
special feature 10 perform, and no smallest
detail of tears, incense, or gloriously col
ored silk garments are ever neglected or
misplaced.
Three days before the interment, which
may not take place for a year or more.
five delegates of the Emperor announce it
to heaven and earth and the genii and an
cestors. On the eve of the transporting of
the body, offerings of nine sheep. fifteen
bottles of wine, and 10000 pieces of pa
ger money are bought, a prayer Is read
and libation made. On the day itself
i've rolls of the tambour announce the GER
emory. The funeral cortege is formed
and The bier is carried to the mortuary
nail. The Emperor comes weeping, makes
tnree hbaions of wine and the Dowager
Empress does the same The coffin
IS brought out, placed on
the bier, while the Emperor stands
10 the left. An officer pours out the wine
and The coffin is carried forward, followed
by the Emperor, Expresses, etc, with
thelr eyes fixed on the bier The coffin Is
borne through all of the palace gates, the
Emperor enters his chariot and the man
oarins mount their horses. At a station on
the road offerings of fruits and wines are
again made. Arrived at the cemetery, the
emperor hastens to make his prostrations
before the tombs of his ancestors When
the funeral train reaches the bridge over
the stream around the cemetery, the cof-
mn is carried through the south gate and
placed In the large hall, where the En-
pefor makes the usual offerings. Dele
gates are sent to all the tombs to announce
the new arrival On the next day seven
sneep fifteen bottles of wine and 10000
pieces OF paper money are offered Then
are brought sacrifices of appeasement and
repose to calm the spirit of the deceased,
IN then wandering about restless, not
knowing where to go; for cessation of
Tears; for association of the deceased with
ms dead ancestors. On the day of the
hrst OF these the Emperor kneels down
OUTSIDE Of the cemetery, while the coffin
= carried IN by officers, preceded by torch
bearers The wangs and other dignitaries
IoAow 1t is placed on a bed of precious
stones; the tablet and seal are placed to
Iisht and left. The body Is lowered into
the tomb and the stone door closed and
sealed. The funeral Is over. c. HI.