New-York tribune., 1901-06-09
PEKlNG TO-DAY.
CHANGES IN THE CHINESE CAPITAL
SINCE THE OCCUPATION

Peking correspondence of The London Times
Many and great are the outward and visible
changes which at once strike the eye of any one
who knew Peking in the old days, but 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 Pehlhg seems TO stand out now aDsoiutely
naked and unashamed- Formerly, for instance,
there was at least suggestion OF exotic
grandeur in the stately outline of halls and
temples and the occasional simmer of yellow
tiles through the trees, which were the only
glimpse of the Forbidden City allowed to the
'oJter barbarian" from the Tartar walls.
Omne ignOtum pro magniicO. Now it's inmost
sanctuaries have been laid bare The treasures
of bySone centuries which may have helped to
disguise the rayages of senile decay have be-
come the spOils of the conquerors, and nothing
is left 70 hide the dccrepitude of a siOvenly old
age. The barbaric gaudiness of the very throne
room Itself is overland with the accumulated
filth of years. the red and gold lacquer of the
pillars has peeled off in great scabs. cobwebs
and birds nests defIe the painted ceilings
The same atmosphere of dirt, discomfort and
neglect pervades the private apartments of the
Emperor and Empress Dowager, anG the dilapi-
dated temples sacred to the iynasty. The foul
and tattered robes Of the few eunuchs who stl!
hang about the imperial palaces are only less
offensive than the oily smile to which they train
their eNH countenances IN the presence OF the
hated foreigner. Sturdy weeds have grown up
between the marble flags of the spacious courts,
and pools of fetid water lurk beneath the marble
bridges OF ornamental streams. Here and there
a magnificent array of gilded lions and bronze
vases of the Ming Dynasty or the painted fret
work OF a cIOisoan6 screen behind an ancestral
shrine serves only to heghten by force of con-
trast the general sense of desolation.
In the streets OF the capital the same sense or
desOlatiOn prevails. Some of the chief thorough
fares have resumed in measure their normal
physiosnOmy. varied only by the inconSruous
presence of the Bengal lancer or the Gefnlah
Uhldn. the French ZOuaVe or the Italian marine
But most of the streets still comparatively
deserted even IN the busiest hours OF the day
time. and at night the whole city is hushed IN
unaccustoned silence. The stiffness IS no longer
broken by itinerant huchsters and story tellers,
ne
ceeding long before daybreak to the imperial
audience chamber. Even the music of the
pigeons they crcled 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 or
Pekins was before the troubles and sun less
does any one know what il is to-day. 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 fled and the once
familiar sight of high officials. with their mot
ley crowd OF retainers. borne by swift bearers
in their curtaned chairs To- and from their
y2mens, or Nanchu women Of rank and fashion
doing their rounds of shopping in closed carts
with red hanGingS. has entirely disappeared
In some quarters almost all the houses are
closely shut up. though many If them are doubt
less not untenanted. and foreign flags alone re-
li-Ve the gray mO10tOny Of long, silent streets
ankle deep in the accumulated winters dust
The amount Of bunting displayed by the inhabi-
tants seems % vary in inverse proportion to
the confidence inspired among the natives by the
nationality t. whose administrative mercies they
have been committed
The Germans govern. as usual with a some
what heavy hand and the streets in the Ger
man quarter make brave a show of black.
white and red bunting airy German village
op Sedan Dav. while in the British quarter.
y here the Chinese appear 10 be relatively
friendly and contented not a single Union Jack
is To he That the people of Pehing are
at least Temporarily cowed. the crinEing atti-
tude which has replaced the sulen scOwls or
Opsn inSOlence of former times cOncluSively
shows. Isut the old spirit still turks beneath the
surface. and of late especially the belief has
been reported to he rife among the pOpuaCe
that the heroes of the Boxer movement not
dead but only asleep. and will wake up again
u Smte the foreigners soon the sap rises
in the trees. III ever the present negotiations
reach an end and the time arrives for evacuat-
ing PekinS. there will be awkward period OF
transition during the withdrawal of the troops
and restoration of responsible Chinese
thOrity. In the time. whatever of the
glory and glamour of the East still clung
Peking has departed. probably for ever; the
havoc alone remains.