The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-09-12
Chinese FESTIVAL DAY I
G|HANGEDIOI
AS One of The New'ldeasiinthat
Country Which is Trying to
Discard Old Customs.
tsyS,.ar;;i.-;vnlSs;.,, $50,

The day selected is a festival which
the Chinese have celebrated for over;
$500 years. 1t Is called the spring
festival. This year 1t fell on April
8. but the date changes yearly, as the
occasion Is hxed by the lunar calen.
|dar. 81 h u
Formerly II has been the practice
OF Chinese to observe this day by
burning paper boats, paper horses and
carts which are supposed to assis,
their ancestors in escaping evil spir-
It's. Its celebration has been gem
|eral in rural communities, but cities
have not been constant in observing
this and other festivals designed to do
honor to ancestors. IS
Mr.. Chau hopes to have the old
Chinese festival perpetuated in amore
practical way, and his plan to COM
bine the new idea borrowed from
Andertca with the ancient feast is typ
ica1i of the present governments plan
to build new China on the best OF
the old traditions and not make an
effort to uproot entirely customs that
have endured for many centuries.
Legendarx In Origin.
The spring festival is somewhat
Legendary in its origin, but is sup
posed to date back to $50 b. G. Prince
Tsin has a devoted supporter. .Kiai
Che-Tui who followed the prince into
exile In northern China and lived
with him there for eighteen years.
When Prince Tsir was ao1e to leave
exile and again gained the favor, Of
the court he tried to reward Kiai Che
TUT for his faithfulnesp. But Kiai was
unwilling to have his devotion TO his,
friend rewarded and escaped with his
mother into the mountains, where they
lived for several years regardless Of
Tsins Efforts to entice him out into
the world. Finally Tsin had the for
.ests in the mountain fired to compel
kiai to leave his hiding PLACE. The
unfortunate recluse and his mother
were both burned. Great clouds Of
smoke engulfed the mountain for a
single day. The following day was
one of unusual brightness. and this
brilliancy inspired the spring festival.
The Chinese celebrate the day byl
eating brilliantly dyed eggs and dec
crate the doors Of their homes with
willow branches. Originally this was
q period Of fasting. At first the cele-
brants would eat no hot food for a
period of thirty days, but this was
found to affect the health Of the pub
lie so seriously that an imperial eutct
was issued centuries ago forbiddins
this feature.
The University OF Marking, an In
stttution maintained byssA Americans,
has a department Of agriculture and
forestry which has attracted wide at
tention in China and has done much
to inspire the movement for attoresta-
ton. Professor Joseph Bailie, an
American. Is at, the head Of this de-
partment and has impressed the, eov-
eminent SO favorably BY his work in
tree planting on Purple mountain.
near Nankings that the secretary q
fagriculturs and l, commerce. i1as dis
banded the college Of agriculture es-
tablished by the government in Picking
and sent twenty four Of the most
promising students to work under
Professor Bailie.
Practically all the provinces are now
sending students to study forestry at
Marking, and the school which grew
= Of the efforts Of a few mlsaonar-
les to point the way in the conserve
ton Of natural resources promises TO
become vital influence in the move
ment to restore trees to the cut over
lands OF China. 4. - $50
-. n .Ev@v. Dna&.t.aA - ~. q -