Evening star., 1900-08-18
ODDITIES OF CHINESE LIFE
TIME NOT MADE FOR PEOPLE OF
THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM,
Their Politeness and dRespect-Chfnese
Mormonism aid Opium Smoking
No Provision fornPedestrfans.
Shanghai Correspondence Golfers Weekly.

1t is a remarkable thing about Pekin
that in city laid out on an enormous
plan, with large avenues high walls, beau
titled by pretty pagodas, elegant temples.
large yamens containing the imperial pal
ace and sacred grounds, so little is done
toward the comfort of pedestrians and of
people riding on mules. horses, camels or
vehicles. The thoroughfares are never re-
paired, so that the streets flooded soon
after it begins to rain. You cannot walk in
the streets at such times. The only means
of travel then is the peculiar springless
Pekin cart, by which one gets full of mud
and filth. The mule placed before the cart
has to wade through the morass and the
wheels sink deep into the mud. With the
exception of open canals traversing cities.
the Chinese do not drain their streets.
The law and custom allow Chinaman
to have as many wives as he can support.
but only the first wife is regarded as the
legitimate mother of the household. She is
the ruler of all the children, who will
mourn for her hundred days. The hus-
band, who can remarry often as he
likes, does not show any sign of mourning
for his wife to the outer world, but wo-
man who marries again after her husbands
death is not considered respectable. Should
she, on the other hand, commit suicide on
her husbands grave, then Pailau, which
is an ornamental gateway or arch, will
be erected as a sign Of transcendent loyalty
and virtue But the great majority of Chi
have proverb, which says that where one
woman reigns there is peace; two women
under the roof signifies fight, and
three women means intrigue and disorder.
Soldiers are generally called braves by
the foreigners in China, on account of the
inscription their uniform. The soldiers
are drilled on olden-time principles and tao
tics, but since the Chinese-Japanese
they have been provided with modern rifles.
In general, soldiers are a great menace to
the people of the country on the line of
march. as they always ransack whatever
comes in their way.
The Chinese of wealth and distinction
never walk in the street; they either ride
on horseback or are carried in chairs. But
If by chance the person riding being
carried should meet a friend of equal or
higher rank, also travelling by the same
means, both parties will alight and make
the peculiar kowtow bow. This kowlow,
when speaking to the emperor consists of
kneelng and bowling the forehead thrice to
the ground The foreign ministers We're for
merly compelled to do this when received
by the emperor. Lord Amherst, British am
bassador in 1915 refused to make the kow-
tow and was not received by the emperor.
In 1873, after many years of controversy.
the rule was changed SO as to allow for
eign diplomats to be received standing. For
the last two years they have brought it so
far to address the emperor directly on
the imperial platform. In China 1t is GUS
tomary, In addressing persons, to greet
them with titles of distinction, such as
"Hsung erh'' (my elder brother), LAO yeh''
(your venerable highness), or ia lao yeh''
(your great honor). well as "ta jen''
(your excellency). Having addressed one of
my Chinese friends. graduate of the medi-
cal department of Harvard College with
the title TIA lao yeh,'' he begged me to ad-
dress him simply "hsen sheng" meaning
mister. as well as teacher or professor an
honorable title.
The Chinese will always address one an
other in most fiattering terms, while they
Will speak very humbly of themselves,
their families, their country, etc, as:
What is your distinguished surname and
your noted name?''
My poor surname is Ii. and my humble
official name is Hung Chang
most peculiar thing about the Chinese
is that they do not know the value of time
We have had some convincing proof of
this in the last few weeks. The Chinese
were in no hurry to let us know that the
diplomats and foreign residents of Pekin
were alive. The manner in which the
Chinese ignore time may also be noticed in
another way. If a Chinaman announces
| his visit for official or other business you
may be sure that he will arrive from an
hour to half a day later, sometimes even
on the next day, without deemng it neces-
sary to apologize for the delay. When the
caller finally does arrive there is generally
a long exchange of polite phrases and
words Afterward you drink tea and
smoke pipes. During all this time you talk
of politics and the weather, and possibly,
just before the caller intends to leave he
will casually bring up the purpose of his
visit.
curious sight Is to see wealthy emma
men ira cling on board of a coast or ocean
steamer They all retire to their cabins to
remain there during the voyage. Here they
will eat. drink, amuse themselves and
smoke opium. with the pungent odor of
which the neighboring cabins are soon un-
pleasantly filled. On a voyage from Ming
po to Shanghai 1 once visited Chinese
steerage: there were eover seven hundred
men and women crouched on the floor
smoking their peculiar water and opium
pipes, the smoke of which filled the whole
ship. 1t is always a great curiosity for
stranger to enter one of the public places,
mostly Chinese tea houses where kind
of sofa arrangement for opium smokers
may be found. Places exist with more than
a hundred Of such sofas, on each Of which
two Cinnamon generally lie, the one con-
versing. while the other holds his pipe over
a small burning lamp and puffs the smok.
able extracts of the Indian poppy. VI
course the fumes render it impossible for
foreigner to remain in such place Tor any
length of time.