The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-07
n1drvelS 81 the ;;.: s:::'; Ss':';
FL: g::: :;;;;;:::: Forbidden GItV

the hall is a gallery for the use Of the
orchestra which plays while Official re-
cepuons are going on.
a Wonderland Of Palaces.
This palace is considered bv thu
Chinese as the most. important Of all
the imperial buildings. It was the
scene OF the famous reception given
by the Emperor Kiang-Hi in A. D. 1722
When on the SiXtieth anniversary Of his
reign ne invited to the palace as his
guests all the men of the empire who
were over SO years Of age. This tribute
70 old age was repeated by the Emperor
hlen-Lung in A D. 1885, on the fitch
anniversary of his reign. No living
white man has ever before seen the
palaces within this city. The only for
elgnerS who are known to have been
in them We're the Jesuit priests. who
OBTAINED such favor in the MancHtI
court In the latter part of the seven
teenth and early part Of the eighteenth
centuries, several of whom have left
very interesting descriptions of the life
OF those within Within the present
century the late DR.. s. Wells Williams
was probably the only foreigner who
has ever saw enough OF them to give
any kind OF a comprehensive account
North beyond this throne building
stands the Palace of Earth'S Repose-
Here Heavens COnsort," as the en-
press Is called, rules over the harem OF
her imperial master Between the pal
ace and the northern wall Of the for
hidden city are the royal flower gardens
or pleasure grounds of the palaces
The gardens are adorned with dainty
pavilions, while marble bridges cross
the canals and reach out to artificial
islands, which, dotted with temples and
: covered with groves, stand about in
miniature lakes Fountains and arti-
fetal mountains complete one of the
most beautiful bits Of landscape work
in the world.
The forbidden city is divided into
three parts by two walls running en-
tirely through it from north to south,
and the portion Of the city which has
just been described is in the central
section between the two partition walls
The eastern division Of the city is given
over TO the officers Of the Chinese
boards of governments. It also holds
the imperial treasury. In the northern
part Of this section stands the Hall Of
Intense Thought, a temple dedicated
to COnfuCiuS and the other great SageS
of China A short distance north OF
this stands the imperial library. called
by the Chinese the Hall of Literary
Abyss. Near these two stands the
Fung- Sien-Tien. or imperial chapel, the
temple set apart for the emperOr's pTi-
vate devOtions. to which he comes to
worship his ancestors The western
division contains a great variety OF
buildings, memorial halls dedicated to
famous emperOrS and distinguished
Z statesmen. the government printing Of
! fee the board Of imperial auditors or
/ cOmptrOllers. who regulate the assess
ment and collection of taxes throughout
the empire and the Ching-Hwang-
I Mao. or guardian temple Of Pekin.
a Remarkable Artificial Mountain
Back of the Palace of Earth's Repose
is another gate separated by a court
yard from the Shen-W u-Mun, which is
the north or rear gate of the forbidden
city Without this gate another bridge
crosses the mOat and enters the en-
closure which surrounds the famous
Coal hill This artificial mountain.
which is also called by the Chinese the
| "King-Shan." or Capitol hiu. stands
| just north of the forbidden city, within
the area of the Huang-Cheng, or i'm
perial city. and is really a part of the
imperial pleasure grounds. Tt IS buiG
| of coal brought down on CameIS' backs
from the mines in the northern part OF
the province This remarkab BILE mound
| is over $50 feet high. covered with
earth and planted with trees and flow
ering shrubs PaviliOns and shTines
{ dot its side and crown its summit
while paved marble walks wind up
around it. From its top a beautiful
view is obtained over the whole city.
/ It has been the scene Of many q dra-
| matte tragedy From that point the
| last emperor of the Ming dynasty
watched the sack of his capital by the
| ManchU hOTdes. VINO founded the pres
! ent dynasty. then refusing to seek
| safety in fight. he hung himself with
/ his yellow girdle from a tree on the
summit, saving, Better die, since the
empire is lost"
! The western part of the enclosure
about the hill is occupied by the 81
/ Yuen. or western park. which is one OF
/ the most beautiful spots in the Chinese
/ capital. An artificial lake more than a
/ mile long occupies the center It IS
\ supplied with water from the famous
/ Black Dragon springs, which lie ten
/ miles north Of PelIin, and fren which
l a magnificent aqueduct, called the
/ Tung- Hwui-HO, cOnduStS the water 70
I the imperial palaces The lake is full
l of the most beautiful and fragrant va
rieties of the Chinese lotus It IS
/ crossed by a marble bridge Of nine
! arches which is INTELLECTUALLY unsur-
/ passed. At the end of the bridge
/ stands a large tea house, while gardens.
walks and rockeries line the banks OF
the lake. The proclamation Of their Sa--
/ cred city will have a profound effect
upon the Chinese and go far towards
preventing their guilty leaders from
! ever regaining their lost face" or
prestige
GUY MORRISON WALKER.