The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-11-05
Mukden and Vicinity.


From Lao Yang to Mukden III direct line the
distance is about forty miles. The backbone ridge
of Manchuria which divides the Lao from the aIH
valley withdraws somewhat to the east, leaving
wide, open plain between the two cities. 1t Wal
through this plain, which stretches down to the
main valley of the Lao river that General kuro-
patkin was pursued by Marshal Ayama's three ar
mics after the battle of Lao Yang.
Immediately north of the wall OF Lao Yang
comes the Taitse river which is divided into two
broad streams by long sand bank There were
originally pile bridges these streams, built b.
the Chinese. They now supplemented by the
railroad bridges a little to the west OF the town.
Once across the Tatse there three roads across
the plain of Mukden that in the center being nearly
straight while the other two stragge trOH one VII
lage to another for the plain is densely inhabited
and splendidly irrigated and cultivated. mike
Chinese landscape 1T IS abundantly supplied with
trees which grow groves all over the plain mark
ing the villages farms and tombs, which are gen
orally cones of clay.
The hills, heavily wooded, gradually recede
the right The plain stretches away to the horizon
on the left. Presently some eight miles from Lao
Yang, the considerable village Of Hsclaoyantal or
Yentai, as it is often called, is reached.
North of this is a further expanse of plain, with
smaller villages, farms, trees and more mount"
torrents-mere stretches of sand III the dry seae-,
formidable rivers in the rains. The whole plain Is
liable to be turned into wilderness Of mud, and
through this wilderness
Thirteen miles north of Yentai, twenty-ora
miles north of Lao Yang, is another considerable
village or small town, called Paitapu, which IS
marked by lofty pagoda visible for miles across
the fiat country. Four miles farther OF twenty-five
miles from Lao Yang, is the Hwun, or Hun. river.
with wide pebbly bed, just such mountain tor
rent as the Taitse and, like it, finding It's way west
ward over the plain into the Lao river. These
streams are the main channels of Chinese com
merce which is carried in small boats In the season
of high water, for many of them rua dry or are
frozen for several months each year, as Manchuria
has extremely cold winters. The chief articles Of
Chinese commerce are beans, peas. hemp, mlliet,
pears, plums, peaches and pigs They are largely
exported through New Chuang. Hence the import
aEee Of possessing that port, since the authorities
there can hold up the innumerable Chinese boats
of produce and make them pay toll This Is the
prose meaning of 'being in possession of the Gus
tom houses at New Chuang"
Two miles beyond the Hwn, or Hun, river
stands the southern pagoda of Mukden, marking
the point where the imperial road meets the first
houses of the city. Then come the suburbs and
finally Mukden itself. Like all cities in China
Mukden is four square, and, again like all Chimes
cities and even all Chinese houses the walls face
the four points of the compass, and there is main
gate at the center of each wall Mukden Is formed
of three concentrIc squares. The outermost, whose
sides measure about three miles, is surrounded b.
mud wall and contains the suburbs, congerie
of farms and market gardens crowded closely
together as to form something like town.
The second square has sides about half mile
long, with walls of stone like the great walls Of
Peking and, like them, creneated at the top These
stone walls incose the city proper as opposed to
the suburb.
The third square, in the center of the city prop
er, contains the Mantcnoo palace and is the ana
logue o fthe Forbidden City of Peking. This IS
only one of the many metropolitan notes of the
royal Mantchoo city, which stands out from
the general monotony of the walled towns of China.
Mukden is not an ancient city. On the contra
~. it is younger than New York, younger even than
Albany, and was founded only in 1925, few years
before the Mantchoos began the conquest 5f the
Chinese empire Nevertheless, it is rich in historic
interest and shows blending of three architectur
al styles all of high scenic value. There are the
Chinese triumphal arches, or pailows, leading up
to the gates and broad avenues of the city; there
are the Chinese yamens or government offices, some
of them with roofs of green glazed tiles; there is
the Mantchoo palace In the center, covered with
yellow imperial tiles. as the Forbidden City of
Picking; there are also the Monaghan or Tibetan
and lamaserais, with their bottle
shaped belfries and their swarms of outlandsh
looking monks from Cobb and Shame and the wilds
of the roof of the world.