Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-23
BRIDES IN CHINA
CHOSEN BY EXPERTS
Facts Congress Party Will
Note and Things They Will
See in Pekinq.

Until recently Picking. capital of
China, with it's 100000 people, was
one of the least known of the great
of a series of National Geographic
Society bulletins dealing with the
places on the itinerary of the con-
gressional inspection trip to the
Orient. 1T took the Boxer rebellion
and the siege of the legations in
1900 to open the long-c1osed doors.
Picking is city within a city
The Chinese city, builr in 1543. is the
commercial center. The Tatar city
dates from 1867 and includes the ia
nous Forbidden city, of which the
Dragon Throne of the Son of Heaven,
Emperor of the Middle Kingdom, is
the center. The throne is of rare
wood exquisitely carved Just back
of it is a screen of golden lacquer, so
dainty in design and execution that
it gives the appearance Of golden
lace. Around this throne room are
arranged the palaces, shut in by pur-
pie walls.
Lively Street Scenes.
''The Chen men street bisects the
Chinese city from the south gate,
where the railway enters to the
principal gate in the wall separating
the Chinese from the Tatar city
Along this main thoroughfare there
passes a continuous throng. There
too, may be seen the springless pas
senger cart, with its blue arched
roof and yellow wheels. corrugated
metal tires, and its awning sheltering
driver and mule, or the Monaghan
camel, the ship of the Asian desert,
and, interesting above all. the scar
let bridal chair with it's piece of
nd al Of
the back as an offering to the demons
who might modest the bride while on
her journey. Officials hurry back
and forth in the gorgeous chairs,
their coolies making great din as
they seek right of way. Noisy ven
ground tiger bones to strengthen
faint hearts and extracts of rat
meat to make the hair grow add to
the din.
ION the east side of this roadway is
an Enclosure of about one square mile,
surrounded by shrines and temples, the
most important of which is the circular,
three-roofed marble Temps of Heaven,
with pillars of Oregon pine and roof of
deep blue porcelain tiles.
Near the ornate Temple Of Heaven
is the Temple of Confucius, the most
holy ancestral teacher
1.-The Washington Monument of Pc
king Is the famous tn1Tteen-SIOr1eQ BUD
dhist pagoda, from the summit of which
a, fine view of the city may be had.
Oldest Newspaper in World.
PICKING claims the oldest daily news
paper in the world, the Picking Gazette,
compared with whose age the London
Times, with it's hundred years, is in it's
infancy. For S. year a Pekingese can
read all that his. government desired
him to know as to its actions, or he can
rent his Gazette for the day and return
it. In former years newspapers were
found on the walls in the form of pos
ters. They were printed from large
block Of wood, upon which the intricate
characters had been cut by hand.
"As early as the seventh century
AID. visiting cards were in common
use in China, and. to the American
girl who this month is sending to
her friends two small cards tied with
a bit of white ribbon, announcing her
engagement, it will be interesting to
know THAT when a Chinaman desires
to marry his parents inform profess
sioEal matchmaker who selects a
bride for the young man. He then
calls upon the parents of the young
woman and presents his card, upon
which has been inscribed his ances-
trail name and the eight symbols
which denote the date of his birth. If
he is accepted, her card is sent in re-
turn, and if the oracles forecast good
for the union. details of the engage
ment are written on two large cards,
and these are tied together with red
silken cords.
Soup Free for the Poor.
1.-The bucket brigade of our small
western towns may have had it's dis
tant origin in the water associations
or volunteer fire departments of Pc
king. In Picking soup kitchens rice
cruel is served free to the moor
I'm the heart of the Tatar city is
another inclosure-the Forbidden
city'-in which stands the Imperial
Palace. distinctive in China because
it is faced with yellow porcelain.
Surrounding the palace are the gar
dens. reception halls. pavilions and Of
fees formerly used by the emperor in
conducting the affairs of the empire.
Prospect Hill would be interest
ing to those who went to the movies.
to keep warm during the recent coal
shortages. The hill is huge mound
of coal which was to provide fuel in
time Of siege, and it is now covered
with grove of beautiful trees.
THE Pekingese are consumers
only. The trade of the city is small
although 1T is open to foreign com
merce. The famous Grand canal
which connected 1t with the rich
provinces of south China, greatly IA
cilitates the transportation of rice
and other products"