Evening star., 1901-06-27
THE PEKIN OF TODAY.
Changes in the Chinese Capital since
the OccupatfOn.

pekip Correspondence of the London Times.
Many and great are the outward and WIS.,
;b,a changes which at once strike the eye
of any one who knew Pekin in the old days.
hut there Is another and more subtle change
less easy to describe. Shorn OF all the
mystery which threw a weird glamour over
its hidden life, the sQualor OF Pekin seems
to stand out now absolutely naked ana un-
ashamed Formerly, for instance, there
was at least a suggestion Of exotic grandeur
in the stately outline of halls ana temples
and the occasional simmer of yellow Tues
through the trees, which were tne 9its
the ''outer barbarian from the Iarter
walls. Omne ignotum pro magninco, NO"
its inmost sanctuaries have been laio pare.
The treasures of bygone centuries. whlch
NAV have helped to disguise the rayages or
senile decay, have become the spolls OF the
conQuerors. and nothing Is left to nloe the
decrepitude OF a slovenly old age. Ihe par
barrie gaudiness of the very throne room
itself Is oyerlaid with the accumulated nltn
of years, the red and gold lacquer OF the
pillars has peeled Off in great scaos, COD
webs and birds nests defile the painted
ceilings.
The same atmosphere of dirt, discomfort
and neglect pervades the private apart
mentS of the emperor and empress cow
ager and the dilapidated temples sacred to
the dynasty. The foul and tattered robes
of the few eunuchs who still hang about
the imperial palaces are only less offensive
than the oily smile to which they train
their evil countenances In the presence OF
the hated foreigner. Sturdy weeds nave
grown up between the marble flags of the
spacious courts and pools of fetid water
lurk beneath the marble bridges of orna-
mental streams. Here and there a magnfh-
cent array of giided lions and bronze vases
Of the Ming dynasty or the painted fret
work of q cloisOnne screen behind an an
cestral shrine serves only to heighten by
force OF contrast the general sense OF des-
olation.
In the streets OF the capital the same
sense of desolation prevails. Some of the
chief thoroughfares have resumed In
measure their normal physiognomy, varied
only by the tncOngruous presence OF the
Bengal lancer or the German Uhlan. the
French zouave or the Italian marine. But
most of the streets are still comparatively
deserted even in the busiest hours Of the
daytime. and at night the whole city is
hushed in unaccustomed silence The still
ness is no longer broken by ftinerant huck-
sters and story tellers. or by the bawling
runners Of high ofhcials proceeding long
before daybreak to the imperial audience
as they circied In the early morning among
the trees with a sort of jewsharp strung
about their necks has ceased.
No one knew exactly what the population
Of Pekin was before the troubles and still
less does any one know what it is today.
To judge by the appearance of the streets
It might well have diminished by one-half,
and women are more than ever rarely seen.
The vast majority Of the upper classes have
fed, and the once familiar sight of high
officials. with their motley crowd of re-
tainers, borne by swift bearers In their
curtained chairs to and from their yamens
or Manchu women of high rank and fash