The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-21
put on mourning again.
waiting for the DOwager.

put on mourning again.
waiting for the DOwager.
An important part of the official
celebration was the wailing. This
was done by the officials all over the
empire. While I was in Mukden ihev
came to the palace at about half past
four in the morning, dressed III white.
with girdles Of sackclOth. They were
there divided into two parties, the
military and the civilian, one standing
on one side of the room and the other
on the opposite side. In front of
them were the imperial tablets. At
q given signal from an official all Of
knees and bumped their heads on the
floor as they sc~reeched out a weird,
wild vail. At another signal they
rose to their feet. and at a third went
down again and again walled. This
was done for three lays succeeding
the deaths Of the emperor and the
empress d~owager.
Similar proceedings occurred at
every officially amen throughout the
empire, and in some places the wall
ing continued longer. There was
also wailing in the villages: and the
especially devout Chinese grew hys-
terical under it. and some went into
fits.
The grieving Of the imperial clan
will continue long after that Of the
common people has passed away. The
lowest classes Of the Chinese gave up
their mourning at the end Of one
hundred days, and some even put on
h~a1f-mourning at the end Of twenty
seven days. All members of the i'm
perial family just continue to mourn
for three years. During that time
they can engage in no festivities. and
they will not be allowed to have chill
dren. 1t is a disgrace to a family to
~;- fortH n ohSl1 rh;f1 Tho ~o,-~
ing period lasts. Indeed, one of the
reasons for the Boxer uprising is said
to have been the rage Of the people
against the last emperor, Kwang Su,
because he was born at such a time.
Funera Money.
During the long funeral procession
which accompanied the remain Of the
late emperor to the western tombs,
funeral money was thrown into the
air. and l am told that 1875, 900 taeIs of
such money was burned every day to
pay KWang Su's expenses until he was
consigned to his grave. This money
was in the shape Of discs Of white
paper, each about as big around as
the bottom Of a tin cup, and with a
uar hole in the center. It was
gathered I'D by the coolies who fol-
lowed the procession, and sold by them
for 20 cents a bog.
Paper money Of this kind is to be
found in every hines city. There
are scores of stores in Picking which
sell nothing else. The money is OF
silver and gold paper, made I'D in
the shape of discs or of shoes to imi-
tate the silver taels used as Chinese
currency. This is spirit money. You
can also buy spirit clothing, consisting
Of gowns made Of paper, and also
spirit trunks. which are paper boxes.
Such things are burned at the graves,
the idea being that they will serve
for the wants of the departed. An
other theory is that they prepitiate
dead and probably charge for their
services.
Queer Mourning Customs.
Indeed, the funeral and mourning
customs of the Chinese are SO strange
that it would take a book to describe
them. There are five degrees OF
mourning, each Of which has it's own
regulations. There is a certain kind
of mourning for parents, another for
grandparents and great grandparents.
another for brothers and sisters and
others for uncles and aunts and for
dear friends. There is deep mourn
ing and ha1f-mourning. In the
deepest, sackcloth is worn without
hem or border. In the mex grade
one may have blue clothes with a
sackcloth belt. and in others he may
wear plain clothes. such as white,
gray and black. During three years
after the death Of a parent no silks
should be worn: and the man, II an
official, should retire to private life to
wall. This was required Of Ii Hung
Chang when his mother died. but his
services were such that the empress
doWager begged him to omit the GUS
tom for the sake Of the state.
When a death occurs in a Chinese
family its members put On ~sackcIoth
or white clothes. braid white into their
queues and wear white buttons on
their caps. They send out mourning
cards of white paper.
At the end of six months or so they
go into half-mourning. They change
their white clothes for blue ones have