The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01

| pie OF Heaven. In the middle kingdom
| there are three great systems of religion.
of worship and of philosophy working to-
| gether in harmony with Government
which patronizes and conforms to each
| without friction and without fusion.
or all three the founders lived about the
sixth century B. c.. but Taoism has had
the popular advantage of being able TO
identify itself with every object of the
wonder veneration OF men. II the off,
cial classes. by reason of their training,
are mainly Confusianist-that is to say
agnostic. in their intellectual sympathies-
that does not absolve them or their I'M
perial master from the regular and elabor-
ate observance OF the great state services
of the year. The mighty spirits of earth
and heaven are invoked by the Emperor
without the Intervention Of ecclesiastic,
and. by deputy. through civil officers
throughout every province. To the powers
of earth and heaven he processes himself
subject. He styles himself .'Son of heaven
by imperial succession" and he asks for
the efficient add of the imperial spirits
of earth and heaven" by sacrifice and obIa-
ton
Foreigners are rigidly excluded from the
Temple of Heaven. where once year. at
dead of night the Emperor goes in solemn
procession. The gates are kept strictly
closed to all but the duly qualified. 1t was
not always So and there are old Pekin
residents who have In days gone by en-
tered the precincts in Chinese dress. one.
in particular. being Ii Hung Chang's pop
ular secretary. Mr.. Pethick. an American
gentleman. who has lived in China for
many years An exception was made in the
case of Prince Henry of Prussia. but. I'M
happily, the result has been. according
to Chinese logic. to ensure continuance Of
last years drought and to hold up the rain
clouds to the utter impovershment of the
land The connection between cause and
effect does not seem very close. but not
less so than the popular belief reported
recently from Persia that a like failure
was due to the setting up of a stone by ii
foreign surveyor.
A great difference exists between the
imperial capital and the provincial cities,
in that the main streets of Pekin are of
adequate width although stalls and booths
have been set up between the frontage
and the roadway on either side. The
buildings are rarely two stories high: most
OF them have a fat roof. protected by
carved wooden parapet. Another differ
ence between the north and the midlands
is that the cold of the Nongolian desert
and the high attitudes make the people
close in the fronts with boards and paper
windows, while wadded portiere keeps
ners. and trade emblems are in front OF
every shop or place of business Scarlet,
brown. yellow. and black. with characters
OF brightest gold. they make striking
show of color that is relief from the
uniform monotony of Chinese costume. and
the gold is particularly effective as
means OF distinction. Amid trade signs,
some. notably those Of the barber and the
pawnbroker. are not unlike the old signs
Of the West: the bootmakers have the
same as can be seen in Nuremberg today;
others. with many colored paper scraps
and strips. are less Ineligible
Infamous Roads and Lanes.
A certain amount OF fantastic carving I'm
wood is used for external decoration. en-
closing the widest caricatures of man and
beast. and on the wooden doors of the
houses are painted the figures OF Chinese
gods and heroes, designed to strike terror
into the unwelcome intruder. The infamy
Of the paving and roadmaking of pekin
has passed into a proverb. Originally the
stone tagged passways that lead from
the Chinese to the Tartar Wall, and to
and from the several gates. must have
been grand achievements. made up as they
are Of substantial blocks OF limestone.
clamped with iron bolts, but nobody has |
ever troubled to keep them in the slight !
est semblance OF repair. although a large |
sum Of money is annually paid over to the |
officials for the purpose. The consequence