Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
Frank Carpenter Describes Funeral of the Late Emperor Of Chin

mound behind the Enclosure and that no
one knew just where his bones rested.
The empress dowager and the emperor
will probably be buried in a similar man.
ner. This mound of Shun-Chih is about
100 feet high. and 1t has a base Of sew
eral acres. 1t is barren with the excep-
ton Of few bushes on the sides and
knotty little pine tree on top. This man
Shun-Chih is said to have sacrificed thir-
ty people at the funeral of his favorite
wife
There is no doubt but that this dynasty
will do all it can to surpass the tombs OF
the Mings, the dynasty which preceded II.
These lie in two great cemeteries. one at
Marking on the Yangtse Kiang. and the
other far out in the country between hero
and the great wall I have visited both.
and they are among the wonders or the
world.
The Ming tombs of North China consist
of a number of great Chinese palaces.
lying in beautiful valley. and connect
ed by wide marble roads several miles
long. On each side of the roads. upon
pedestals. stand gigantic figures Of tigers,
lions. uniforms. horses, camels and
elephants. each cut from one solid block
of white marble. The elephants are
''jumbos,'' beautifully cut, and the lions
and camels are not at all bad, consider
ing that their sculptors were Tartars.
There are thirteen emperors buried in
that cemetery, and the largest temple Is
that of the great Lung Yoh. This has
a hall two hundred feet long. and it
covers more than an acre. It is sur
rounded by a balustrade Of carved
marbel. and in it are immense stone
turtles. each as big as a hogshead. out
of whose backs rise pink marble slabs
inscribed with the virtues of the great
emperor. The turtle is one Of the Chinese
ernhIenns Of lonPeyifv
1t is near Marking that the founder
of the Ming dynasty is buried. and the
tombs there are somewhat similar to
these tombs of North China. They lie
under the shadow of the purple noun
tains. and are reached by an avenue a
mile long, which is lined with gigantic
elephants, camels, lions and tigers in
marble. There are also many stone war
riors. each twelve feet in height. At
the end of this avenue is great tower
with four arched gateways. and this
tower covers a circle of black marble
This is SO large that 1t would fill an
ordinary city parlor, and it is made from
one single block of stone. The animals
themselves each weigh many tons. and
some of them are beautifully carved
One of the stone horses has been thrown
over. and some or the lions ana cameis
are broken, but the most of them are as
perfect today as when they were original
ly made. about five hundred years ago.
1 ate my lunch sitting on the turtle In
the great tomb, and. as did so, I could
look through one Of the doorways upon
the grave mounds of the Marking Of to-
day, and could hear the wailing of
poorly clad woman who mourned over
small hill of clay. 1t was the grieving
of the poverty-strcken present among
the imperial ghosts of the past, and as
the sound came to my ears it was forced
upon me that of all things upon earth
the only king who reigns supreme is
death. His scepter sways from age to
age. and with his magic wand he makes
all men Of one size.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.