The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-07

however. is accounted for by me Chinese
principle that Interior magnidceuce
should not D. visible or suggested IN ex-
Scrnal surrounding
In the second Enclosure.
Passing through thls gate another LARGO
area stretches out before % second gate
which begins 70 give some hint of she
maEnihcence 70 De expected within.
wide stone csueowuy extends north
through this courtyard up 10 the safe
which is oaIleu by the Chinese the Tlen-
An Mun or the cate II Heavenly Rcst
This is the sp-ealied great Pink Gate so
rane1 because its pillars ana wool Work
ore heavily erameled with q red lacquer
which mas become faded and NOW pre-
=e0ts "a pink appearance The three arches
through the gate arc faced with white
marble over winch are uwlned splo1d.dlv
carved dragons on the comb ~ the roof
and raining down on the projecting caves
of the pasoda Ike structure over fhe gate
are grotesque porcelain ornaments the
heads OF Phoonlxes AMI Gunins.
Within this gate 81 stn another court
yard on the north side % which ssands the
WI Nun or Meridian Gate This Is tho
southern entrance Of the prohibited city
Itself and the second gate from the En-
perors palace. on the eastern side ~
ne Este stands n large sun dial 81 antique
desqgn ard magnificent workmanship be-
INK cast 90 bronze IN the time ~ the Mon
Eol dynasty which reigued ia the 18th
century on the western side ~ the
gate stands lunar DIAL Of like workman
ship and design Tho tower over the
gate holds a large gong which was oriG-
inally intended 20 be- used like the drums
whbch now stand before the Magistrate
Yamens throuF hou' the empire n "a said
hat n wac - used during the time %
enc Ming dynasty. petitioners VINO mad
failed 10 obtain Justice through the ord
nary channels being permitted 20 call the
attention ~ the Emperor 20 their Fricv-
au0es by striking on the eogg bus tho
deoth penalty ives INFLICTED or any whose
appeal was found 20 b. ui-foun.led or INV
o.ous The gong Is now used only ns a
tienal 81 tho Emperor passing through.
ether whom entering or leaving the city
The courtyard before this gate IS tho
pa~e % audience for victorious generals
who returning from successful campaigns.
come here 60 las before their Monarch
the loot and prisoners which they have
taken II Il also the place for the dis
I trtbUuou Of decorations and prerents 70
foreign ministers ard native officials
The Precinct OF the SOLITARY Man"
| Passing through this gate one Is AZ last
Within the mysterious city ITSELF Across
/ mo courtyard within the gate runs a
small canal over which lead FIVE marble
| bridges with magninCently carved hallus-
/ Grades and impressive stone lions guarding
| their entrances From each or these
| bridges runs a magnincen' avenue paved
| With fine marble leading up 70 an immense
building called the Tat Ho-T ien. This i'm
/ pressive building stands on a marble base
| ment about twenty feet IN hight and rises
TO sotal hight 81 over 10 feet The as
cent 20 the building g. made hy i've flights
/ 81 steps with carved marble hallus,rades
| leading from each Of the five avenues
/ which run across the courtyard The
/ central one % these avenues g. very broad
/ and D. reserved for the use Of the Emperor
| alone. Tho two avenues on either side
/ OF this are Tor visiting princes Of tho
blood and officers az the highest mnk
| while those on tho extreme right and left
are FOR The use Of an others Back ~ the
/ Tai-Ho-ren is the gate leading 20 tho
/ palace proper.
The palace buildings consist OF four
| large structures and Two smaller ones ar
I ranged around the courtyard within the
gate The central building IS called the
| Cheng-Kung or the Palace Thoee which
| flank e on either side IRE called tho T1ng-
| kung and Shkung or the eastern and
/ western palaces. while the fourth one
I which faces the palace proper ls called
I tho Han ~ the Golden Dragon Tho small
/ er buildings are those reserved FOR Tho
/ Empress powager and her suite The
/ palace building. ike the great audience
| hall in Tho rours in front Of 90. Is long and
I wide reaching almost across the court In
which g stands. buBt with red bricks.
| which. according 70 Chinese law. are re-
served for use in The imperial buildings.
I with marble faciuEs ornately carved and
I surmouuted with double ROT the second
ono Of which covers a gallery supported
I by pillars the roofs being covered with
I yellow porcelain tile and all the wood
work covered with heavy red enamel
According 90 the native descriptions the
[ Interior Of the palace Is painted with the
famous imperial vermilion. The floors are
I covered with priceless yellow silk-velvet
| carpets 81 native make ard tho furniture
I which follows the designs ana shape com
| mon in china IS constructed 81 heavy rcd
iron wood ard highly polished In tho
| Empcror's own rooms the frames OF all
The furniture are Of solid gold The chin
1 Luau-rien or oAcial reception room Is
carreted with an immense rug o. rough
velvet worked in with yellow DRAGONS ~
contains no seats or other convenlences
except the throne itself FOR among the
/ Chinese No one. however high his rank
"a permitted to assume any other than a
prostrate position while In the terrifying
presence ~ his Emperor Tho throne Itself
s placed on an elevated dais u IS as
. FNNNNN rom NfHlft ttN q NNlNNAlttNN cary
"a staircase and supported hy large COP
per dragon heavily Eiidsd Around the hal.
is a gallery for the use Of tho orchestra
which plays while official receptions are
going on.
4 Wonderland of Palaces.
This palace IS considered hv the Chinese
"a the most important Of an the imperial
| buildings II was the scene of the famous
reception given by the Emperor Kaug-Hi
| in 4 u. i722. when on Tho sixtieth ami
vcrsary OF his reign he invited 10 the pal
ace as his guests an thc men OF tho en-
| pire who were over sixty years Of age.
| This tribute 90 OLD age was repeated los
the Emperor kieu-Iuug In A. H. 17S5 on
! tho flftieth anniversary Of his reign. No
! living white man has ever before seen the
paaces within this city The only for
eiEbcrs who are known 10 have been in
them were tho Jesuit priests who obtained
such favor in the Manchu court IN the
latter part OF the seventeenth ard early
part OF tlrc eighteenth centuries several
~ whom have left very interesting de-
4criptiona OF the life Of those within with
n the present century the late Dr. =
| Wells Williams was probably the only
foreigner who hos ever saw enough of
them To- give any kind Of a comprehensive
account.
North beyond this throne building
stands the Palace Of Earths Reposc"
Here "Hoaven's Consort" as the cm-
nress g. called. rules over the Harcm 81