Middletown transcript., 1915-06-12


W seen in the contrast between
the fine new buildings of the
University of Marking and the old ex-
animation halls, in ruins.
For many generations these halls
represented to the Chinese their high
est culture. They are located in the
old part of the city and cover a large
space. They were built in the four
teenth century, by the Ming emperor
Hong WI, a great patron of learning.
He codified the laws, and established
schools in all the chief cities and
towns, write DIR. Vachel T. and Cath
crime F. Lindsay in the Illinois State
Register.
These halls, in general appearance
made us think of stalls for animals on
some county fair grounds, only there
were more Of them. They were in
long brick sheds, the cells separated
by partitions, and about five feet
square, the slanting roofs being made
OF tile. They were intended to accom-
modate about thirty thousand students.
Each line of cells was open to the
south. A narrow board on the floor
Of the cell, answered for bed at
night, two boards across at proper
heights for seat and desk, inches in
the wall for food basket and candle.
Each student was expected to pre-
pare an essay on the books of Confu-
cius, Mencius and their disciples and
commentators. No original ideas or
personal experiences were to be in
troduced.
There is high tower near the CEN
ter of this inclosure from which the
long lines of tile shed roofs are seen,
many of them in ruins, all overgrown
with high weeds, wild vines and moss.
In looking through "A Guide to Nan
king" we found one mention of these
honored halls in the descriptions of
Most Noted Places" formerly the
equivalent ihsChina of all the univer-
stiles in our East combined. On the
same page of the catalogue there were
mentioned 4S modern schools for all
purposes one could well think Of
military, commercial. surveying, draw
ing, naval, police, polytechnic, prison
reform, law, normal, language, silk
worm and mulberry, theological, Bibli-
cal, with many that indicated special
studies and Industries for girls.
Most of these are established in
good modern buildings in parklike in
closures, with lawn grass, trees and
flowers. and rooms equipped and set
apart for their especial work. The
Chinese are given to vocational train
ing. They have an elaborate system
OF division Of labor. They do not be-
lieve in a man of all work"
Confucianism and Idols.
We hear a great deal about the
superstition and idolatry of the Chi
nese. We were astonished to find in
Marking. and indeed everywhere we
went, the Buddhist temples either
grown up in weeds, the idols in many
places covered with dust and broken,
or the idols thrown away and the
buildings transformed into modern
schoolhouses. Idolatry in China is
largely a growth through centuries
that has gradually developed from
Buddhism, just as we see all manner
Of fungi attached to dying tree.
Confucianism is not idol worship.
In its principles it is purely a code of
ethical laws. Its fundamental laws
are strikingly similar to the laws of
Moses. Consequently a person may
be Confucianist in a general sense,
and at the same time a Christian. 1t
is quite worth while just here to call
attention to the fact that Confucius
lived about five hundred years before
Christ. more than a century after the