Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
How a Few Marines Did Keep Back
the Chinese Forces.
DUCAL PALACES TURNED TO FORTS
Queer Customs of Succession to
the Dragon Throne.
DAILY LIFE OF THE ENJOYS
Written for The Evening Star.


The succession to the dragon throne of
China is hereditary, but it does not, how
ever, descend to any particular son of The
reigning emperor. The choice usually falls
the eldest son, but the emperor is sup
posed to carefully watch and Judge the aoll-
tiles OF his different sons and choose for
the succession that one which would make
the best emperor and give his people the
wisest and most peaceful rule. Should the
emperor, however die without making any
selection, the princes of the family being
the brothers or uncles of the emperor Just
deceased, meet together and. from the gen.
Grafton succeeding that of the late emperor
select some one of the family to occupy tee
throne. For those members of the family
who are not so fortunate as to be selected
for the succession great ducal palaces are
selected, and assigned to them for royal
residences. The forbidden city, in the heart
of the city of Picking, is of course the resi-
dence of the emperor himself, and to this
city is brought the member of the family
who is selected the heir apparent. But
outside of the forbidden city Pekin IS dot
ted with the great parks or compounds that
surround these royal ducal palaces. The
grounds usually range from two to five
acres in area, and are surrounded by high
brick walls of great strength, cutting them
off completely from the sounds and smells
of the city outside.
No Hereditary Nobility.
The chinese have always been opposed
to any hereditary nobility, and while these
ducal palaces are assigned as imperial resi-
dences to sons of the reigning monarch,
it is always with the provision that when
the family of the occupant has, by the
operation of Chinese law (Which provides
that imperial descendants lose one degree
in rank with each generation until me
third, when they have been reduced to the
level of the common people, the palaces
then revert to the crown for reassignment
to sons of the then reigning monarch. 1t Is
on account of this peculiar law that the
palaces of Pekfn are occupied by an ever
changing population. first princes or the
blood then their children and grandchildren
in succession after them. then the vacation
CT the palace and its reassignment again 20
princes of the reigning family.
The fourth generation from the royal
family have no official title or rank, still all
persons of royal descent. to the remotest
generations allowed to wear the yell
low girdle indicative of their royal descent.
These yellow girdle men. or Huang Dalzas,
are one of the features of Pekin. Many OF
them have inherited wealth from their
royal ancestors. and are prominent men N
their community. But others have Jared
differently with fortune. Some hang
around the imperial offices seeking the
humblest employment; others are the
scribes and teachers, and even domestic
servants may be found wearing the yellow
girde
DucaI Palaces for Our ENJOYS.
The treaty which closed the French and
English war in 1850 first granted to the
powers the right to maintain their embas-
sizes in the Chinese capital In the early
days, before the building of the railroad
49, oxrn1
was up the river to Tungchow, and thence
into the capital through the east one Of the
southern gates Of the city. Entering Pekin
through this gate the forbidden city, with
its imperial palaces, lay to the west, ana IL
was but natural that the first ENJOYS
should turn up the first street leading to-
ward the palaces. 1t SO happened that this
street had been for centuries the quarter
in which lodged the ENJOYS from the trib-
ute-paying neighbors of the Chinese empire
-Coreans Mongols, Thibetans and lndo-
Chnese-and the street which Is known
among the foreigners as Legation street is
called by the Chinese the street Of tribute
nations The fact that the foreigners es-
tablished themselves in this quarter has in
large measure Influenced the Chinese in
their treatment of them, and while a mis-
take was made in this respect, still the
early amba ssadors chose wisely in selecting
for their residences the handsomeSt of the
then unoccupied palaces belonging to the
crown.
The Fine English Legation.
The English selected a large palace which
lay along the west side of canal that
drains the lakes within the forbidden city
and lies just north of Legation street. The
quaintness and oriental magniflcence of
these ducal palaces have been largely pre-
served by the legations that have occupied
them. The massive entrances stand I'M
changed: the open pavilions. with their lac
Quered pillars and rich carvings, are used
as ball rooms. The courts and arbors and
walks. with their rookeries and terraces.
still stand: but the details of the dwelling
houses have been changed to suit the re-
quirements of modern comfort, and there is
little comparison between the severely
simple furnishings of the former Chi
nese occupants and the luXurousy fur
n:shed saloons of the modern ambassadors.
Glass windows and tight doors have re-
placed the old Chinese fretwork and paper
windows. while chimneys have been built
in every available corner. The winters in
Pekin are cold. and where the Chinese find
comfort in wearing additional suits of
clothes the white man insists on his fire to
keep warm, and the many chimneys built
in these old palaces have so disturbed the
spirits OF their former occupants that they