Description of Peking (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 Excerpt: ...solemnshade which surrounded some celehrated temples of ancient Greece. Ou the day hefore the sacrifices the Emperor proceeds to the Ohii-kung, "hall of fasting," on the west side of the south altar. Here he spends the night in watching and meditation, after first inspecting the offerings. The tahlets to the Supreme Ruler of Heaven, and the Emperor's ancestors, are preserved in the chapel at the hack of each altar. There are no images. Both these chapels are ciroular, and tiled with hlue glazsd porcelain; and, in this respect, resemhle the lofty edifice on the north altar. Bat they have no upper story. The name of the southern chapel, Hwang-kiung-yii, means " the circular hall of the imperial expanse." The south altar, the most important of all Chinese religious structures, has the following dimensions. It consists of a triple circular terrace, 210 feet wide at the hase, 150 in the middle, and 90 at the top. In these, notice the multiples of three: 3 X 3 = 9,3x5 = 15,3x7=21. The heights of the three terraces, upper, middle, and lower, are 5 72 feet, 6 23 feet, and 5 feet respectively. At the times of sacrificing, the tahletB to Heaven and to the Emperor's ancestors are placed on the top; they are 2 feet 5 inches long, and 5 inches wide. The title is in gilt letters; that of Heaven faces the south, and those of the assessors east and west. The Emperor, with his immediate suite, kneels in front of the tahlet of Shang-li, and faces the north. The platform is laid with marhle stones, forming nine c noentrio circles; the inner circle consists of nine stones, cut so as to fit with close edges round the central stone, which is a perfect circle. Here the Em pi i or kneels, and is surrounded first hy the circles of the terraces and their enclosin...