Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-06
ANCIENT CITY OF PEKING
Described as a Place of "Dirt,
Dust and Disdain."
THE SEAT OF THE MANTCHoos.

Four Cities, the Chinese, the Tar
| tar, the Imperial and the Forbid
| den-CurIosities of Chinese Archi-
tecture-Queer System of Religions.
In view of the report that Picking
was recently captured by the foreign
naval forces under the command of
Vice Admiral Sir Edward II. Seymour
the following story about the Chinese
capital Is of timely interest:
Peking lends itself to nickname and
ALTERATION. An English minister de-
scribed it as the place of dirt, dust
and disdain." Others have found it,
like Lord Amherst, a city of despair.
/ Mr.. Henry Norman says that the two
| moments when one appreciates it are
| the first sight of its frowning gates and
| the last. Whatever it is or is not to
| the men of long views" 1t must al
| ways be one of the nerve centers of
| human interest and international re-
| lations, says II. W. Lawson in the
| London Telegraph. During the dynas-
| ty of those Mings whose name was the
warcry Of the Taipings and is today
| in the mouths of many of the secret
| societies that form the great difficulty
of Chinese rule and management it
was a city of but second rate impor-
lance.
Their attention was given to the EN-
bellishment of the now half wasted
city of Nankin, often called "the ma
tional capital" but Picking has been
the imperial capital since the Ia Tsings
seized the throne, and those who are
qualified to speak are of opinion that
any notion of degrading ii from its
pride of place to suit the convenience
of European diplomacy is foredoomed
to failure. 1t is not only the capital of
the Mantchoos; it is the capital of the
mandarins. The official world is of the
Pekingese stamp, and the Pekingese is
the official language, the tongue of the
graduate and educated man. To the
ear it has n pleasanter and softer
sound than the rough dialects of the
provinces, and it has been developed
and nodded to the elaborate and ornate
phrases Of polite society. The 'sh' is
often heard instead of harder and more
uncouth conjunctions.
In the four cities which make up the
capital, and particularly in the Impe-
rial city, live most of the leading and
opulent class, and therefore the houses
are of a more important and solid APP
pearance than is the rule elsewhere.
High brick walls, with q single stone
entrance, surround a multitude of
courts. thanked by tile rooted dwelling
rooms. 1t is curious and universal
custom among the Chinese to put up
Immediately facing the outer door a
stone or brick screen bearing tablets
or painted scrolls inscribed with the
names of ancestors or classical texts.
The object, according to time hOnored
superstition. is to ward off evil spirits,
for the demon on entering knocks his
head against the obstacle and, being
devoid of all sense hut an elementary
hatred of mankind, is repulsed and
goes away sorrowful. Why the afore-
said demon should have the cleverness
to turn in at the gate, yet not sufficient
TO wheel round the screen, is difficult
for the uninitiated to understand.
There is no attempt at ostentation or
even of decent comfort about these
dwelling places. Within they are mere
ramshackle bungalows, with stone
tagged floors and paper windows. fan
tastically cut up by wooden partitions
and papered without taste or cleanli- |
HESS 1 ne luTnlluTc Is Oh pOilSueO |
wood made in the stiff, square style |
that is not unfamiliar. Ornaments are |
few and of the commonest foreign |
make, while the bronze vessels to be |
seen are all modern and coarse In !
\ Chinese window is |
a quaint subterfuge for obScuring the |
light of day. 1t is an intricate pattern |
Of woodwork in straight lines, with |
pieces of glass stuck on the surface |
and filed up with strong, yeliowish |
paper. Its principal use IS in sealing |
up an apartment against any thrush Of |
fresh air by normal ventilation. The |
tiles used for roofing are rounded and !
well made, of various colors-yellow /
for the emperor, green for the gods,
blue and red for the rest-and the ends
are capped with 4 fiat, embossed circle
and crested with mythical animals and
horned heads.
When the Chinese discover the cheap
and congenial hideousness of CORFU
gated iron, the one attractive element
in Chinese architecture is doomed to
disappear. White paint is generally
put on to cover up the mud. with an
occasional contrast of coral red. In
the summer months European officials !
who are obliged to remain within
reach and the students from the lega-
tons hire temples in the western hills
from the priests. suspend the religious
services and use them as fixed camps.
They bring in their train their own
and their own furniture, |
and very pleasantly do these temples
serve their purpose. OF late years for
pignerS who are able 10 go farther
afield spend the summer by the seaside
AT Peitaiho, but these are the lucky
seniors of the community. In Picking
Itself the same system is pursued OF
citing out temples for private occupa-
ton The only difference is that when
wealthy natives are the lessees the re-