New-York tribune., 1900-11-04
SOUTHERN CHINESE BUILDINGS
BRIGHTER COLORS AND MORE DECORATION
THAN IN THE NORTH.
From The London Telegraph.

From The London Telegraph
In the south. as one might expect from the par
alel az Europe. the buildings display brighter colors
ana more ornate decoration than in the sombre
h0Th nor ho IRe % nfs Of the arch are straight and SUR
Chinese imagination Inside the courts OF the
more plenIi.uiiy bedecked with tinseI ana bra:s
temple is without its gliding but In tbe souf5 rb5rs
are signs OF a more frequent application OF gold
To reSild temple is accounted a work OF holiness
which is set down on the credit side of the
hctors and taken before KUang-Ti to be submitted
70 the unpleasant !nterroSatlons OF the below
There opportunities in plenty for fire insurancs
of this kind because the Chinese find very hard
turned to the purposes q personal profit.
Mn t SsEI'n a thers & Is Ian9Gs temple % the sdes o.
sitting posture to the number of four hundred and
great BGddha The long rows are impressive and
bewildering even though they do not suggest more
than curious gallery OF family statues-sornethiag
Ike the busts OF pItrtciaH family in Old Eome-
have worn their color 10 a rich bronza the hands
are nearly all as bright As new gold The exp.ana-
and 9 i6ssouenIiv the ,rie~ts 1tirIIIIv raDIsc
country where the priests themselves ever ready
replaced by pewter and Bronze by iron every sy Of
the week, The only reason that bonze In a Yang
cense burner was that Il he did the people would
He believed in the saying. '"rhe image maker does
not worship Buddha; he knows too much about the
Just as these temples are cleaner and richer IN
the southern provinces than elsewhere save IN
Sze-Chuan. so the private houses Ot a finer and
more substantial build. IN EwanE-Tung many ot
them stand out by themselves like English
farm. with strong walls surrounding We'll kept.
one stOried dwelling rooms. and the blue brick
made at the many brick fields which line the banks
is far more durable an1 cohesive than the unaaked
mud that does duty for il in many other parts.
The roofs, too, are neatly tiled and NJ resist
the full fury OF tropical storms.
II is not only the detached house which j. thus
superior All along the lower reaches the VII
lagos. which thrive and haIten upon the prOduc-
tion OF silk, have air Of permanent prosperity
that, ContraSted with the pitiful poverty of 50
much that one sees elsewhere. strikes ii pleasant
contrast. In their festivals and solemn
ments they make parade and effect which have
something OF diana gorSeousueSs about them
Above SamShu the southern bank. I saw
waving Clumps of feathery bamboo that in the dis
y band of musicians in scarlet garments led the
way before whole army OF tablet bearers who
proclaimed the virtues OF the illuStriouS dead.
Above them hoated the standards of the niariuS.
and in the centre was huge serpent. made up IN
pantontmtc fashion of painted mating hung upon
a framework supported by a number Of unseen
"SupcrS.' who WaSgled and twisted in the Orth0-
duN way Behind came priests and coolies and IN
the place OF honor We're mounted officials. with
their red umbrellas Of offiCe horne before them AZ
close quarters all this would have been taWdry
enough. but. seen in the bright sunlight. with tbs
background Of red sandstone frinsed by the most
graceful Of trOpicJl trees il not only curious
IL was almost beautiful.