Chapter I: Front Matter

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_In the drawing is represented the Emperor Hienfung, attended by his principal ministers, kneeling before the shrine of_ HWANG-TIEN SHANGTÍ. _Though no foreigner has witnessed this ceremony, a few words concerning this native representation will make plain the chief objects of worship._

_Upon the triple altar, or_ TIEN TAN _(Volume I., p. 76), the central temporary shrine is dedicated to_ HWANG-TIEN SHANGTÍ, _or ‘Imperial Heaven’s Ruler above.’ Upon the Emperor’s right, nearest the chief pavilion, are tablets to his ancestors, Tienming, Shunchí, Yungching, and Kiaking; the corresponding opposite house is similarly devoted to Tientsung, Kanghí, Kienlung, and Taukwang. The small buildings behind and below these are the_ TAMING CHÍ WEI, _the ‘Altar of the Sun’ or ‘Great Luminary’ (on the right), and the_ YE-MING CHÍ WEI, _or ‘Altar of the Night Luminary.’ The last structure on the worshipper’s right contains tablets to the_ CHAU-TIEN SING, _or ‘All Stars;’ to the_ URH-SHIH PAT SUHSING, _or ‘Twenty-eight Constellations in the Ecliptic;’ to the_ PEH-TAN SING, _or Ursa Major; and to the_ MUH, KIN, SHUI, FO, _and_ TU, _or Five Elements--‘Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth.’ Facing this building on the left are shrines to_ SIUEH-SZ’, YÜ-SZ’, FUNG-SZ’, _and_ LUI-SZ’, _the superintendents of Snow, Rain, Wind, and Thunder_.

FROM A CHINESE PAINTING]

論總國中

THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

A Survey of the Geography, Government, Literature, Social Life, Arts, and History of The Chinese Empire and Its Inhabitants

by

S. WELLS WILLIAMS, LL.D.

Professor of the Chinese Language and Literature at Yale College; Author of Tonic and Syllabic Dictionaries of the Chinese Language

Revised Edition, With Illustrations and a New Map of the Empire

VOLUME I.

New York Charles Scribner’s Sons 1900

Copyright, 1882, by Charles Scribner’s Sons

Trow’s Printing and Bookbinding Company 201-213 East Twelfth Street New York

To
GIDEON NYE, JR.,
OF CANTON, CHINA,
A
TESTIMONIAL OF THE
Respect and Friendship
OF THE AUTHOR.