The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-09-04
LEGATIONS
AT PEKIN.
OucaI Palaces Occupied by the
Foreign Ministers,
AMERICAN QUARTERS HUMBLE
Scms Very Queer Customs Of Succession 10
The Chinese Throne and the Splendid
Residences d Young Emperor
AMERICAN QUARTERS HUMBLE

| China Is hereditary. but IL does not de-
scend TO any particular son of the reign
| ing emperor. The choice usually falls on
the eldest son. but the emperor is sup
| posed carefully 10 watch and judge the
| abilities OF his different sons, and choose
for the succession. the one who would
make the best emperor. and give his peo-
| pie the wisest and most peaceful rule.
| Should the emperor die without making
| any selection, the princes of the family.
being the brothers or uncles OF the en-
peror Just deceased. met and from the
generation succeeding that OF the late
| emperor select one or the family 10 oc-
| cupy the throne.
| For those members of the family who
| are not SO fortunate as TO be selected
| for the succession great ducal palaces
| are selected for royal residences The
| Forbidden city I'm the heart of the city OF
| Pekin Is the residence of the emperor
| himself, and to this city In brought the
| member OF the family who rs selected
as the heir apparent tt
But outside of the Forbidden city. Pc
kin is dotted with the great parks. or
compounds. that surround these royal
ducal palaces The grounds usually
range from two 20 FIVE acres I'm area and
are surrounded by high brick walls of
great strength. cutting them off COM
pletely from the sound and smells Of tho
| city outside.
The Chinese have always been opposed
to any hereditary nobility. and while
these ducal palaces are assigned as impe-
rial residences 10 sons of the reigning
monarch. IL is always with the provision
that when the family of the occupants
has by the operation OF Chinese law,
which provides that imperial descendants
lose one degree In rank with each gen.
GRAFTON until the third, been reduced 90
the level of the common people. the pal
.l...ll n far ran
signment to sons of the then reigning
monarch.
II Is on account OF this peculiar law
that the palaces of Pekin are occupied
by an ever-changing population. first
princes of the blood. then their children,
and their grandchildren In succession
after them: then the palaces are vaca-
ted and reassigned TO princes Of the
reigning family t
YELLOW GIRDLE OF ROYALTY.
The fourth generation from the royal
family have no offcial title or rank. Still.
all persons of royal descent, 10 the re-
hottest generation. are allowed TO wear
the yellow girdle indicative OF their royal
descent. These yellow-girdle men. or
Huang Dallas. are one OF the features of
Pekin.
Many OF them have inherited wealth
from their royal ancestors and are prom
inent men In their community. But others
have Jared differently with fortune. Some
hang around the imperial ofices seeking
the humblest employment; others arc the
scribes and teachers. and even servants
may be found wearing the yellow CIR
die
The treaty which closed the French
and English war in 1860 first granted 10
the powers the right TO maintain their
embassies I'm the Chinese capital In the
early days before the building of the
railroad from Tien Tsin to Pekin, the line
OF travel was up the river 10 Tung Chow,
and thence into the capital through the
eastern one OF the southern gates of the
city.
| Entering Pekin through this gate. the
| Forbidden city with its imperial palaces
| lay TO the west. and II was but natural
| that the first ENJOYS should turn up the
| first street leading toward the palaces.
IL so happened that this street has been
| for centuries the quarter in which lodged
! the ENJOYS from the tribute paying neigh
bors Of the Chinese empire--Coreans.
| Mongols. Tibetans, and Indo-Chinese. and
| the street which lis known among the
| foreigners as Lega ton street Is called by
| the Chinese the Street OF Tributary Ma
| tions.
The fact that the foreigners established
| themselves i'm this quarter has In a large
| measure influenced the Chinese I'm their
| treatment Of them, and while a mistake
Il
| ambassadors chose wisely In selecting
| for their residences the handsomest Of
the then unoccupied palaces belonging
| TO the crown. ~ tf
| The English selected a large palace
| which lay along the west side OF a. canal
that drains the lakes within the Forbid
/ den city, and lies just north of Legat ton
street. The qnaintness and Oriental mag
nificcnce of these ducai palaces have been
| largely preserved by the legations that
l have occupied them.
| OLD ARCHITECTURE UNCHANGED.
The massive entrances stand unchang-
| ed: the open pavilions with their lacquer
\ ed pillars and rich carvings are used as
| bathrooms. The courts and arbors and
walks, with their rockeries and terraces.
I still stand but the details OF the DWELL
| ing-houses have been changed 10 suit the
requirements OF modern comfort, and
/ there is little comparison between the
| severely simple furnishings OF the for
mer. Chinese occupants and the luxuri-
ously furnished salons OF the modern AM
| bassadors.
| Glass windows and tight doors have re-
| placed the old Chinese fretwork and pa
| per windows, while chimneys have been
| built I'm every available corner. The
/ winters I'm Pekin are cold. and where the
| Chinese find comfort In wearing addison
/ al suits of clothes, the white man insists
Il
|! chimneys built i'm these old palaces have
T, 80 disturbed the spirits OF their former
/ occupants that they have caused more
! discussion than affairs of state. ,. {. /.
The heavy walls which surround these
legations have proved effective means of
defence. while the Chinese method OF
| building houses up against one another
| and their numerous alleys and courts and
narrow passages. and their many back
| gates offer facilities for secret communi-
cation that can be found In no other city
| I'm the world.
The British legation, In which a small
band of marines has been able TO defy
| Chinese mobs numbering tens OF thou
sands, is adjoined on both the north and
south by the compounds OF friendly Chi
| nese. At the northwest corner were the
imperial carriage yards on the west were
stnl other Enclosures of friendly Chinese.
while the stable gates at the southwest
corner OF the legation opened into large
Chinese market
The walls around the legation, almost
three feet thick, have been cut through
into the compounds OF the friendly CHI
nese. and through them. and from the
Chinese market Il was an easy matter TO
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