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Chapter 12 - Excursions from Shanghai USING Shanghai as a base, the traveller who is remaining for some time has the choice of many excursions to points of historic interest in Central 
and North China with transportation, in most cases, available by rail, air, ocean or river. The railway service in China is government-owned,
comfortable and reliable. Air and water facilities are likewise efficiently operated. Railway services mentioned are available from the North Station, Shanghai.
Railway tariffs and schedules are subject to change by official notice. It is recommended that visitors to Shanghai making excursions from this city entrust arrangements for transportation, hotel reservations, guides, etc., to one of the several reliable tourist or travel agencies. Among them are:American Express Co. - 158 Kiukiang Road. American Lloyd - 13 Edward Ezra Road. China Travel Service - 420 Szechuen Road. Thomas Cook & Son - Nanking and Szechuen Roads. The Travel Advisers - 51 Canton Road. Japan Tourist Bureau - 86 Canton Road. The China Travel Service arranges and supervises excursions throughout China; the Japan Tourist Bureau confines itself to Japan. Other agencies listed operate world-wide services.
Guides are always available for out-of-the-way places and native quarters and should be used. They may be retained through hotels or travel agencies. The "guides" who loiter about hotel entrances and city gates should be avoided. Usually they are not guides but "runners" for enterprising merchants.
In this chapter detailed information is given concerning Hangchow, Soochow, Wusih, Nanking, Tientsin, Peiping (Peking), Pootoo, and the Yangtsze Gorges.
Railway passenger tariffs, where quoted, are only for first class accommodations; second and third class rates are much cheaper. All tariffs are quoted in Shanghai currency.HANGCHOW
The capital of Chekiang Province with a population of about 400,000, Hangchow was once the site of the Forbidden City of the Southern Sung Dynasty. More than thirty centuries before Marco Polo came to add his tribute to the praises of West Lake, a populous city existed here. About 2,000 years before Christ, during the period of Yu-Kung, the place was under the jurisdiction of Yangchow (where Marco Polo, afterward was magistrate under Kublai Khan). About 1,500 years later, in the time of Chun-shin, what is to-day Hangchow was called Yueh, and from then on its prestige and fame have increased and spread over China. During the Southern Sung Dynasty (1127-1280) it was probably the largest city in the world, and one of the richest. All the arts flourished here under Imperial patronage. With Sung artists came a renaissance which produced some of the most classical art and literature in China's cultural heritage.
Hangchow is the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. This great artificial inland waterway, still of vast commercial importance, is more than 900 miles in length, extending from Hangchow to Tientsin in the North. To the South of Hangchow, and spreading out in fanlike embrace behind Si-Hu, or West Lake, is a range of low mountains. Only on the North is the city unprotected by natural barriers, there being a broad level plain reaching toward Shanghai. The railway journey from Shanghai, a distance of 131 miles, is about five hours. A recently opened motor road also enables tourists to go from Shanghai to Hangchow by car.
Favoured Resort. The temperature at Hangchow ranges between 35 and 83 degrees (Fahrenheit) but remains near 70 during most of the year, which partly accounts for its being the most favoured resort in China. Notable temples of Buddhism and Taoism, some of them of great age, have been objects of pilgrimage for many centuries. Near Hangchow are several beautiful mountain resorts, most favoured of which is Mokanshan, about 40 miles to the northwest. Mokanshan ("Isolated Peak") is a favourite Summer resort for many Shanghailanders. The mountain is 2500 feet high and the scenery and climate are compelling attractions. There are many recreational facilities. A visit to Mokanshan, especially in the hot weather period, is recommended. These attractions, and the phenomenon of the Hangchow Bore, one of the wonderful sights of the world, are some of the chief lures that bring thousands to Hangehow every year, to go away repeating the Chinese proverb, "Above there is Heaven and beneath are Hang and Soo," the last referring to Soochow. Both cities, historic and celebrated in song, have been an earthly paradise to the Chinese for more than 4,000 years.
West Lake possesses a romantic urge not to be resisted. From West Lake Marco Polo enjoyed the beauties of Hangchow. He dwelt at great length in the reports of his travels on this city, which he said was "the greatest in all the world."
Famous Monasteries. The monasteries in the hills beyond West Lake are interesting. The more famous of these, and the pagoda temples surrounding West Lake should be visited before one leaves "Hang." Until a few years ago there stood on the southwest eminence overlooking the lake a structure of red brick, called the "Thunder Peak Pagoda," which was built by a concubine of one of the Wu Yueh princes about 975 A.D. Within the last few decades it had crumbled until there was merely an ivy-cloaked mound of broken brick and in 1924 it suddenly collapsed into shapeless ruins. It was perhaps the most noted of the few surviving relies of other days, being approximately ten centuries old, and it is worth noting that the Hangchow Municipality is considering its restoration.
On the same hill is a Buddhist temple, one of the four largest bordering West Lake. It is called the Ziang-dz-sz, and is especially dear to Japanese Buddhists for it is supposed to be the place where the celebrated Nipponese priest and educator, Kobe Daishi, first studied the teachings of Gautama.
Cupid's Temple. The most famous temple in which Cupid is worshipped in China is a small shrine on one of the tiny islands in the West Lake, Hangchow. It is known as "White Cloud Temple." Thousands of lovers, eager to know if their romances will last forever, and thousands of others who want to know where to go to meet their future mates, visit the shrine every year. The legendary role played by Cupid is not widely known among the Chinese. In modern Chinese wedding ceremonies Cupids are used to decorate the groom's ears. Cupid is better known as "Foreign God of Wealth." Many refuse to believe that the tiny archer could be a god of wealth as the Chinese conception of the God of Wealth is a black warrior on a black tiger. The doubters call Cupid the "God of Many Offspring." Decorating the bridal motor car with Cupids means that the newly married pair will have many sons.
General Ward's Tomb. En route to Hangchow, and about thirty miles from Shanghai, is Sungkiang, a city which contains the tomb of Frederick Townsend Ward, the American who organized and first commanded "The Ever Victorious Army" (see Chapter One). An annual pilgrimage, promoted by American war veterans in Shanghai and in which many Chinese participate, is made to the tomb.
Trains for Hangchow may be taken at the North Station in Shanghai. Round trip to Hangchow, express, $13; one way $8.25. Diners are attached to the trains and tea is served in the compartments. Both foreign style and Chinese hotels are available, at reasonable rates.THE HANGCHOW BORE A most remarkable natural phenomenon which each year attracts thousands of visitors to the Hangchow district, is the Hangchow Bore, the huge ram of water which sweeps up the bay and the Ch'ien T'ang river near the first and middle of every lunar month. The Bore, however, is much greater at the Spring and Autumn equinoxes and the greatest usually occurs two days after the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, about the middle of September.
The ordinary bimonthly bores are usually five to six feet high at the front of the thundering mass of water, while the equinoxial bores occasionally reach a height of eighteen to twenty-five feet and it is asserted that bores of more than thirty feet have been witnessed.
The formation of the bores is easily explained. Hangchow Bay is shaped like a huge funnel, sixty miles wide at the mouth and narrowing down to the Ch'ien T'ang river. One hundred miles inland the 60-mile wide funnel has narrowed to a tube only two miles wide. Incoming tides, driving into this great funnel, rise higher and higher, meet the current of the river, and the Bore is created, at its best a snowy-crested solid wall of water, perhaps, at a good season, twenty feet high and travelling at fifteen to eighteen miles an hour.
The best view of the Bore is obtained at Haining, a town forty miles from Hangchow, and about twelve miles from where the Bore begins to form, at a point where the bay is narrowed to two and a half miles. The equinoxial bores are magnificent spectacles. The roar of the in-rushing water may be heard for half an hour before the crest reaches Haining: and for a like period after it has passed that point.SOOCHOW Older than the memory of Confucius, a famous city six hundred years before the birth of Christ, and, once the capital of the Kingdom of Wu - such is Soochow, a brief two-hour train ride from Shanghai. This city of canals and bridges is a real Chinese city, very slightly touched by foreign influence, a relic and a memory of the cities of Cathay as they were centuries ago.
As a famous holiday resort of China it rivals even fair Hangchow in scenic beauty and historic interest. Its greatest distinction, however, is not its scenery nor its historical background, but its beautiful women!
The most beautiful women in China (so say the Chinese) have always been found in Soochow and poems in their praise have been sung perpetually by Chinese and foreign bards. Chinese poets, for many ages past, have turned their rhymes and laid them at the dainty feet of the ladies of Soochow, and foreign rhymesters, ever since Soochow was opened to foreign trade in 1896, as a result of the Sino-Japanese war, have been following their example.
In approaching Soochow by rail one proceeds along the city wall (one of the few famous city walls left in China) which is girdled by a moat and has six gates.
There are six bridges spanning the moat. Within the wall rickshaws will be waiting to take passengers to their hotels or sightseeing.
In the main streets of the city will be found the bazaars and shops which specialize, largely, on the gorgeous silks for which Soochow is justly famous. In these bazaars silks and embroideries may be found at incredibly cheap prices.
Temples of Soochow. In the busiest section of the city, approximately the centre, will be found the Buddhist Temple, Yuen-Miao-Kwei, the main temple of which was founded during the Tang period. It is one of the most representative relics of the Indian religion in China. The temple is a favourite resort of the people of the city and in its compound, in addition to the tea houses, variety shows, etc., are open-air stalls where numerous articles are sold. The street fronting the temple is one of the busiest in Soochow.
The Temple of Confucius is a splendid shrine surrounded by tall, ancient trees. The present buildings are new, restorations of the originals destroyed by the Taiping rebels. The Temple of Lady Chen was founded by a general of the Kingdom of Wu and its famous pagoda was built during the Ming period, between 1583 and 1592. The pagoda is 250 feet high and one of the most stately structures South of the Yangtsze. From the ninth storey a good view of the city and its surrounding plains with their numerous lakes and canals may be obtained.
The twin pagodas of the Twin-Tower Temple were built between 984 and 994 A.D. The temple buildings were destroyed by the Taiping rebels who, however, spared these quaint and picturesque pagodas. Sze Chi-lin, near the Ping Gate, is reputed to be one of the finest gardens in the southeastern part of China.
Outside the walls of Soochow, one mile West of the Tsangmen Gate, is a typical Chinese garden, containing fine examples of miniature hills, lakes, streams. trees, flowers, herbs, bridges, and Chinese prints and antiques in pottery. It was once the villa of a Mandarin but is now owned by the wealthy heirs of a famous statesman of the later period of the Ching Dynasty. The garden is private but visitors are admitted at 10 cents per person.
The Leaning Pagoda. Twenty minutes ride by rickshaw from West Garden is Tiger Hill, where stands the "Leaning Pagoda" of Soochow, said to be more than 1,000 years old, and as famous in China as the Pisa Tower is in Europe. It leans at about a 15 degree angle to the northwest, and is gradually slipping more.
Precious Belt Bridge. 12,000 feet long, spans a wide stream connecting the Grand Canal with Lake Tan Tai-hu, two miles southeast of the city.
Ling Yen-san, a hill on which stands a famous temple, is twelve miles northwest of the city, the two being connected by a canal. On a summit is the Lute Terrace, much revered by young men in love, for it was here that an historic beauty, Si-sz, of the court of the Kingdom of Yueh, once played a golden lute so sweetly that all the orioles of the mountain were hushed for a year after, so great was their admiration of the young woman's talent.
Soochow is 54 miles west of Shanghai on the Shanghai-Nanking railwav line. First class round trip to Soochow, $4.95; one way, $3.30. Express trains, round trip, $6.15; one way, $3.90. Good Chinese hotels are available, serving food in both Chinese and foreign style.WUSIH Twenty-seven miles west of Soochow, an hour by train, is Wusih, a rapidly growing all-Chinese industrial community of great interest. Smokestacks on the skyline offer a curious contrast to the pagodas further back on the hills, symbols of a vanishing era. Wusih is progressive. From a population of less than 100,000 some twenty years ago it has become a metropolis of more than half a million. Wusih has been aptly termed the "Manchester of China."
A short distance from the city is Lake Taihu, and nearby flows the Grand Canal, linking up with all the major waterways giving exit to the sea. Before 1912, Wusih was a simple trading centre with rice and raw silk as the chief items of exchange. To-day there are ten large cotton mills, eighteen textile weaving plants, forty-five silk filatures, five flour mills, ten wood oil factories, one satin plant, two rice mills, five soap factories, two manufacturers of prepared foodstuffs. two distilleries, one paper factory, five knitting mills (hosiery), and one bean oil factory. These plants are all under Chinese ownership and operation. In addition to these are many smaller industries. Electric light and power plants and a modern telephone exchange are further evidences of the advancement of the city.
More than 150,000 workers are engaged in the industries of Wusih; for the silk filatures alone over 20,000 are required, this business now exceeding $210,000,000 annually. The value of the cocoon crop used in silk manufacture is in excess of $24,000,000 a year, while some 50,000,000 pounds of raw cotton is annually consumed by Wusih factories. Most of the cotton is domestic, although considerable quantities are imported from America.
Nor is all of the interest of Wusih confined to industrialism. Mei-Yuen, or Plum Garden, is one of the finest botanical gardens in China, covering an area of about 200 acres. Pleasure cruises may be made on Lake Taihu. Before leaving Wusih the visitor should see one of the "mud-men factories" of a curious industry that has identified itself with the city. All manner of fascinating little images are turned out, classical Mandarins, and military men, important generals of the Revolution, and famous beauties from the courts of the past. The material used is a clay found in the neighbourhood of Wusih.
Railroad fare to Wusih from Shanghai; round trip, $6.55; one way, $4.35.NANKING Heir to rich annals of the past, Nanking, the present scat of the National Government of China was, for six dynasties between the fourth and sixth centuries, the classical capital of South China. During the reign of the Mings it became, for a time, the national capital. The earliest of the Mings built his Forbidden City here in 1368 and it was when his successors moved North to Peking that the city received its present name, which means "Southern Capital." Despite its loss of political importance in early days, Nanking remained the leading cultural centre of South China and when the Ming Dynasty finally was ousted by the Manchus the latter made Nanking the chief city under a viceroyship which included the provinces of Kiangsi, Kiangsu and Anhwei. The Taipings took Nanking on March 18, 1853, killed all its Imperialist defenders, and held it for eleven years as the capital of the rebel "Kingdom of Great Peace" until the fall of the anti-imperialistic movement.
It was at Nanking that the revolutionaries of 1911 set up their provisional government under the leadership of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. After the overthrow of the Manchus at Peking, affairs for a time were administered from this city. Later the capital was again removed to Peking until 1927 when the Cantonese came North and set up the National Government in Nanking, where it is still established.
Before the Revolution of 1911 the population of Nanking had dwindled to about 200,000 but it has since become a "boom" town. It is estimated that the present population of Greater Nanking exceeds 1,000,000 and it is rapidly growing.
The Nanking Wall is 32 miles long, varying in height from 30 to 50 feet, with supporting embankments ranging from 20 to 40 feet in width, making it one of the sturdiest surviving structures of its kind. Most of the wall is still in excellent condition, a fine example of the solid masonry that characterized edifices of the Imperial Mings.
From the shore of the Yangtsze, through Nanking, the Sun Yat-sen Road proceeds in unbroken regularity for 12 miles to the foot of the $3,000,000 Purple Mountain memorial erected as the tomb of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. A wide, well-paved boulevard, it is the first impressive evidence of virility in Nanking which greet the newly arrived. The Sun Yat-sen Memorial is three miles beyond the wall, surrounded by hills, and towering above the Ming Tombs.
Ming Tombs. Situated at the southwest base of the Purple Mountain is the tomb of the Emperor Tai Tsu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, and of his consort, Ma Huang-hou. The tombs are surrounded by extensive brick walls. Many former large buildings outside the walls, were destroyed by the Taiping rebels but the stone figures of men and horses along the entrance pathway, works of great skill, can still be seen today.
Other places of historic interest which should be visited in Nanking are Sz-Tou-Tse, where the King of Wu first built his castle and where the remains of walls and foundation stones bear witness to the hundreds of battles fought on the hill; Wu-Lung-Tang, Black Dragon Pool, full of fish and tortoises; Ma-Tsou-Hu, a lake famous for lotus flowers, bordered with willow trees; and Chi-Hsia-Shan Sz, a Buddhist Temple with a tower of 50 feet, in which are preserved the ashes of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. At the left of the temple is the "Hill of One Thousand Buddhas," overgrown with ancient pines, in the midst of which are 1,000 images of Buddha.
In contrast to the ancient tombs and temples are the fine new government buildings and universities. Thousands of students come from all parts of China to this great educational and cultural centre.
The trip to Nanking from Shanghai may be made by train, river steamer, or airplane. By rail, 195 miles; round trip, $19; one way, $11.85; sleeper, $4.50. The night express leaves the North Station in Shanghai at 11 p.m. and arrives at Nanking at 7 a.m.
By river, 210 miles; approximately 30 hours; round trip fare, about $48.
By air, two hours and fifteen minutes; round trip, $70; one way, $40. Airplane leaves Lunghua Field, Shanghai, at 6.30 a.m. and arrives at Nanking at 8.45.
Excellent foreign hotel accommodations are available.TIENTSIN Only about three hours by rail from the centuries old city of Peiping (Peking) is one of the finest and most modern cities in China. Tientsin, 821 miles from Shanghai by rail, is the second most important port of China, with a population at this writing of more than 1,000,000.
The visitor to Tientsin will be greatly impressed by its cleanliness as contrasted with other cities of China. Even the Native City of Tientsin is almost entirely free from beggars and has broad paved streets and smart shops. Comparison of it with the Native City of Shanghai is much to the disadvantage of the latter.
The foreign concessions of Tientsin - French, Japanese, Italian and British - are clean and modern in appearance. Trees border the paved boulevards and the residential sections are more suggestive of the Occident than the Orient. Hotel accommodations are excellent and there are many fine clubs.
The important fur and rug industries of China are centered in Tientsin and remarkable bargains (judged by Occidental standards) may be obtained in these products. In the Japanese Concession there is a Curio Bazaar which is well worth a visit.
Sightseers will find numerous temples in the Native City, the most famous being the Hai Kwan Sze, with its huge bronze bell. A splendid view of the city may be had from the Drum Tower near the Li Hung-chang memorial.
Tientsin may be reached from Shanghai by train, ocean steamer or airplane. The city is located on the Hai-Ho River and steamer passengers land at Taku Bar, entering the city by train, a half-hour trip.
Steamer trip to Tientsin from Shanghai, two days; fare, $90 each way.
Railway fare, one way, $70.35, plus berth and dining expenses; round trip, $109.95.
Airplane leaves the Lunghua Field (Shanghai) at 6.30 a.m. and arrives at Tientsin at 2.45 p.m.; fare, $160 each way.
Hotel accommodations are comparable with those of Shanghai with approximately the same rates.PEIPING (PEKING) Peiping, one of the oldest cities in the world, and one of the most interesting! He who has not seen Peiping has really not seen the China of fable and history. Peiping, 918 miles from Shanghai by rail, dates back more than 3,000 years in recorded history. Possessed of surpassing charms, Peiping undoubtedly is one of the wonders of the world. Its historical background is gorgeously rich.
Tartars, Mongols, Mings, and Manchus have, in turn, swayed the empire of which Peiping for so long was the keystone. The height of royal magnificence was attained from 1200 to 1300 A.D. during the reign of the great Kublai Khan, the glories of whose court were recounted by the Venetian explorer, Marco Polo.
Although much of its grandeur has departed since the removal of the Chinese capital to Nanking, Peiping yet remains a city of romance and charm. From its lofty walls, thirty miles in circumference and enclosing an area of twenty square miles, the golden tiled roofs of the Tartar and Chinese cities gleam in symbolism of the immeasurable wealth they shelter. Palaces decorated with grotesque gargoyles record the reigns of otherwise forgotten Emperors. And, as in centuries past, the camel caravans leave the Imperial City for the lands of mystery to the North and West.
Peiping is a city of walls. Private homes, the legations, and public buildings are surrounded by walls, all sheltered by the tremendous wall which girdles the entire city.
Peiping is in the same latitude as southern Italy, but it has a wide seasonal range of climate, cold winters and hot summers.
Legation Quarter. Peaceful and quiet, as distinguished from the turmoil of other sections, and surrounded by its wall, the Legation Quarter contains the official headquarters of thirteen nations, American, Belgian, British, Brazilian, Danish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Netherlands, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. The Legation buildings are palatial, with beautiful gardens. As each nation has followed its own style of architecture, the appearance of the Quarter is somewhat startling, but pleasing. lie streets are broad and paved and tree-lined. The Quarter has its own shopping and business section.
It was in the Legation Quarter that the foreigners of Peking made their last desperate stand against the Chinese during the Boxer uprising in 1900, holding out until relieved by the allied forces.
Other points of interest in Peiping will be touched upon briefly, but with little attempt at definite locations and directions, as guides are urgently advised for the tour of Peiping and environs. Reputable agencies such as Thomas Cook & Son and the American Express Co. can make all necessary arrangements.
Forbidden City. For many years the Forbidden City was a complete and engaging mystery to the Occident, for foreigners were not admitted to its sacred precincts until after the Boxer uprising in 1900. It is, perhaps, the most famous of all the walled cities within Peiping. Despite looting and spoliation, much of the grandeur of this Imperial City remains. The present palaces date from the Ming dynasty and occupy, roughly, the site of the court of Kublai Khan, 1214-1294, the Grand Khan of the Mongols, who conquered China and founded the Yuen dynasty, making Buddhism the state religion. He was the heroic figure made immortal by Mareo Polo.
The Museum section of the Forbidden City is composed of fifteen buildings, and here once were stored the most remarkable art collections in all China. During the Sino-Japanese troubles of 1932 thousands of cases of these priceless treasures were shipped out to Nanking and Shanghai for safekeeping. Their return is still an open question. Much of interest, however, remains to be seen within the fabled Forbidden City. The jade and bronze collections are beyond question the finest in the world.
Summer Palace. Once a place of indescribable grandeur, the Summer Palace, some seven miles out from the Tartar City of Peiping, a favourite resort of the old Empress Dowager, who was responsible for its construction, is still well worth the time required for a visit. There is a haunting beauty in the temples, palaces, shrines and pagodas. The land- and waterscaping are particularly effective.
Some of the more modern buildings and the famous marble boat were the work of the Empress Tz'u Hsi, who used for the purpose $30,000,000 which had been appropriated for the construction of a Chinese Navy. To this circumstance some historians have attributed the defeat of China by Japan in the war of 1894. The war was lost but the marble boat remains.
Three miles West of the Summer Palace is the Jade Fountain, a spring which has been giving forth water for countless centuries. It supplies the lakes of the Summer Palace grounds. The park at the fountain is beautiful and there are interesting pagodas in the adjacent hills.
Winter Palace. Within Peiping there is no more beautiful spot than the grounds of the Winter Palace, in which are included the group known as the Sea Palaces. There are many pavilions and two attractive lakes, separated by a marble bridge. In Autumn the lakes are almost covered with lotus blooms. Boat picnics on the lakes are a favourite summer-time diversion.
Don't fail to see the Nine Dragon Screen at the Winter Palace, one of the most famous art treasures of the city. The colourings of the porcelains are exquisite and the entire screen is intact.
The White Jade Buddha, enshrined in a small temple to the left of the large entrance of the Winter Palace, is decidedly worth inspection. The Round City, in which this huge Buddha is to? be found, was once the principal residence of Kublai Khan, and the temple which it occupies was the site of his throne room. Most of the palaces are constructed of tile decorated in the famous imperial yellow and in green, the colours having remained vivid and distinct throughout the centuries. In fact, throughout Peiping, one gains a lasting impression of changeless age.
Temple of Heaven. Located in the Chinese City are the famous Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Agriculture. The temple grounds are interesting and are surrounded by a wall more than three miles in circumference. This was long the imperial shrine where the Emperors made their addresses to the gods of ancient China. Five temples really form the group collectively known as the Temple of Heaven.
The Altar of Heaven, long regarded as the most sacred place in China, is a huge marble platform with three terraces and 360 balustrades. The first terrace is 210 feet in width. Many visitors have adjudged the Temple of Heaven the most impressive of Peiping's many scenic attractions.
Lama Temple. This famous temple, one of the fountain heads of Lamaism, a decadent branch of Buddhism, with much obscenity ill the ritual, is in reality a monastery, wherein reside about 1,500 priests. The chanting of the priests, in their bizarre costumes, is a most unusual spectacle. The Passion Buddhas, in ribald postures, ostensibly concealed, may be seen for a price in tips.
A most interesting object is an immense image of the Buddhist redeemer, Maitreya, seventy feet high and said to have been carved from a single tree trunk. A winding stairway affords a close-up view of this striking figure. There is a huge praying wheel in the same building. The Lama Temple, buildings and tree-shaded grounds, offer much else of interest to the visitor.
Temple of Agriculture. Dedicated to Shen Nung, said to have ruled China some three thousand years before the Christian era and who is credited, with the invention of the plow, this temple has been modernized until to-day it is largely a pleasure park. It is located across the avenue from the Temple of Heaven.
Within the spacious grounds are Chinese theatres, restaurants, tea houses and many recreational facilities. It is a very popular resort for the Chinese. Well worth a visit for a glimpse of native life in holiday spirit.
Drum and Bell Towers. Attaining a height of 130 feet, the Drum Tower gives one a splendid view of the Tartar City. It is a landmark of Peiping.
The Bell Tower, same height as the Drum Tower, contains the great bell cast at the order of the Emperor Yung-lo. Legend has it that the Emperor, infuriated by several unsuccessful attempts to produce a perfect bell, proclaimed that another failure would doom the chief artisan to death. The latter's beautiful daughter, when the next effort was made, leaped into the molten metal and perished. The bell was perfect. It is a Chinese legend that the maiden's sighs are the minor notes of the bell's chimes.
Observatory. The oldest astronomical observatory in the world is located in Peiping, having first been built by Kublai Khan in 1279. The ancient Chinese were well versed in astrology when it was an unknown science in Europe. Many of the old instruments may yet be seen, but most of the finer pieces were lost to the Germans when the allied troops looted the city during the Boxer fighting in 1900.
Temple of 10,000 Punishments. A Taoist temple, illustrating with painted wooden figures the ingenuity of the ancient Chinese in devising forms of torture. Taoists suffering from ill health utilize it as a shrine at which to pray for relief. It is a large building, with interesting courtyards.
Marco Polo Bridge. Spanning the Hun Ho river, this remarkable stone structure of thirty-five arches still stands after more than a thousand years as a monument to the sound workmanship of Chinese engineers. It is now named for the Venetian explorer who said it was the most wonderful bridge he had ever seen.
Eunuchs' Cemetery. A half-hour motor trip from the city brings one to the Eunuchs' Cemetery, where for centuries the favourite eunuchs of the Emperors were buried. There are hundreds of tombs, many of them large and imposing. The spacious, forested grounds are beautiful.
Shopping. Peiping is a veritable paradise for the curio hunter, as well as for those who fancy rugs, embroideries, tapestries, old jewellery, bronzes, etc. Beware of unscrupulous dealers. It is safer, and usually far more profitable, to patronize the well established foreign shops or those reputable native merchants who are well known, recommended and legitimately advertised.
Excursions From Peiping. From Peiping three major side excursions are recommended; to the Western Hills, the Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall.WESTERN HILLS The first near view of the Western Hills is obtained from Pa Ta Ch'u, about forty minutes from Peiping by motor. Donkeys and chairs may be engaged for the ascent of the hills to the temples and other points of interest. The temples which dot the Western Hills date from the Ming period in the fifteenth century, some of them even antedating that era. The scenery is magnificent, and ancient temples, shrines, monasteries, tombs, etc., are to be found on every side.
One of the main centres of attraction is the "Mummy Temple." Shun Chih, first of the Manchu Emperors, is said to have died in a cave near a monastery where he retired from the world upon refusal of the court to allow him to wed a favourite concubine. His body was mummified and further preserved with bronzed lacquer. He sits in eternal meditation over his lost love in the centre of an ornate temple.
Other points of outstanding interest in the Western Hills are the famous Trappist Monastery and the Black Dragon Pool and Temple. If time is available the guides will take one to many other points well worth inspection.MING TOMBS A motor car is recommended for the visit to the Ming Tombs, twenty-five miles northwest of Peiping, for, if made by train, donkeys must be taken at Nankow for the remaining ten miles to the Tombs. Food and water should be carried for this one-day excursion.
The Tombs are in a rugged country, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. They are widely separated and if many of them are to be seen the tour must be made on donkeys, as there are no connecting roads.
The oldest and largest tomb, and the one most frequently visited as it is also the most accessible, is that of Yung Loh, who died in 1425, and who was responsible for the building of much of Peiping.
One of the great attractions is the gigantic Ancestral Hall, 80 by 180 feet. The roof is supported by forty pillars of solid tree trunks, fifty feet high and a yard in diameter. In the courtyard beyond the Hall will be found a huge sacrificial table of carved marble.
In approaching the Ming Tombs one encounters a magnificent gate, declared by many to be the finest in China. It is featured by five arches of elaborately carved marble, four pillars, and a tiled roof.GREAT WALL The journey to the Great Wall of China is made by train, leaving Peiping in the morning and returning the same day. If a more extensive inspection is desired, a stopover may be made.
There is nothing new to be said about the Great Wall. Most school boys are familiar with the broad outlines of its history. However, it is indubitably one of the wonders of the world, perhaps the most stupendous physical creation of mankind. More than two thousand years old and fifteen hundred miles long, this tremendous barrier of masonry sweeps across mountain and over dale with a majestic defiance of natural obstacles. No one who can see it should miss doing so.
The height of the wall ranges from twenty to fifty feet, it is from fifteen to twenty-five feet wide at the base and at the top averages twelve feet. Lofty watch towers rise from the level of the wall at intervals. For many years the Great Wall was the greatest trade route between the Chinese and the northern Tartars. Even to-day camel caravans travel along the wall.
Transportation to Peiping. Peiping may be reached from Shanghai by railway or by airplane, or even by ocean steamer to Taku (Tientsin) and thence by train. (See Tientsin section).
By the Shanghai-Peiping through express train one way fare, $76.95, plus berth and dining car expenses; round trip, $120.35.
By air, leave Lunghua Field (Shanghai) at 6..30 a.m., arrive at Peiping at 3.30 p.m. One way, $180; round trip, $300.
Excellent' hotel accommodations, at moderate rates, are available in Peiping."HOLY LAND" OF CHINA As Jerusalem is to the Christians, and Mecca to the Mohammedans, so is Chufou to the Confucians of China. The Province of Shantung is the "Holy Land" of China and it was here, in the village of Chufou, that Confucius (551-478 B.C.) was born, lived, and died. Not far from the tiny village is the sacred mountain Tai Shan, one of the most venerated of China's five sacred mountains. It is said to be the oldest place of worship in the world.
Travellers by rail between Peiping and Shanghai pass through the historic cities of Shantung and a stopover at a few of them will add infinitely to a knowledge and understanding of China. Chufou, birthplace of Confucius; Tsowhsien, where Mencius, a celebrated sage and philosopher and disciple of Confucius was born; and Taianfu, behind which the Jade Emperor, chief god of the Taoist triad and ruler of every mountain top, rules over the summit of Tai Shan, are the triumvirate which compose the holy centre of China.
Chufou, birthplace of Confucius, only a little more than 500 miles from Shanghai, is unquestionably one of the most interesting villages in China. Picturesque and ancient, scarcely anything has changed here since 551 B.C. when the Sage was born. Of particular interest is the Grand Hall of Ceremonial Practice, built entirely of carved wood. At Spring and Autumn festivals each year millions of Chinese make pilgrimages to this Hall to pay homage to Confucius. The Main Hall of the Temple of Confucius is one of the finest examples of Chinese temple architecture in existence. It is 74 feet high and has double curled roofs of emerald tile, with marble pillars supporting the giant edifice. Deeply carved single slabs of stone are exquisitely artistic. Within the Hall is a famous statue of Confucius with other statues and portraits of his disciples. Many of these works are of great value. Outside the Hall is the well from which Confucius drank and the Pagoda Tree which he is said to have planted. An avenue, lined with ancient cypress trees and flanked by monstrous stone dragons, lions, unicorns, and horses leads to a park.
Ancient Worship. Fifty miles north of Chufou is Taianfu, at the base of Tai Shan, or "Eastern Peak of Heaven." At the railroad station chairs may be hired for the ascent. Men worshipped at Tai Shan long before the Greeks sanctified Olympus or built the Temple of Athena. Tai Shan was sacred in China centuries before Fujiyama was sacred in Japan, and long before Muses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. It has been sacred for at least 4,000 years. Tai Shan is the tallest peak in the Kuenluen mountain range, 6,000 feet high. A wide stone stairway, "The Road to Heaven," has 6,500 steps and starts the climb to the peak. On the way there are gates, temples and shrines - the First Gate of Heaven, the Red Gate Palace, the Tower of the Goddess of Mercy, etc. It takes from four to five hours to reach the South Gate of Heaven, where the climb is over. The Confucian temple here was erected in the sixteenth century.
About two hours north of Taianfu, by train, is Tsinanfu, capital of the province and a modern city with wide paved streets, factories, electric lighting, parks, department stores, etc. Visitors interested in Christian work in China will find many missionary institutions here, and the Shantung Christian University. Near Tsinanfu, en route to Tientsin, one crosses the Yellow River over a bridge built by Germans at a cost of $5,000,000. It is 4,116 feet long and is one of the most difficult engineering works yet undertaken in the Far East.
Travellers to China's Holy Land may start from Shanghai, Peiping, or Tsingtao. From Shanghai the railroad fare to Chufou is $42; round trip, $66.15. About five dollars more is added to prolong the journey to Taianfu, and five more to Tsinanfu.YANGTSZE GORGES One easily drifts into superlatives in describing the scenic attractions of China. There are so many "greatest," "oldest," "largest" and "world wonders" that the phrases become trite through repetition.
No word-picture can adequately bring visualization of the grandeur and glory of the Yangtsze Gorges. They have been compared to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, but these two great natural wonders have many points of difference, notably the fact that the Yangtsze Gorges are navigable by high-speed steamers.
Because of their isolation, few casual visitors to Shanghai make the voyage through the Yangtsze Gorges. Those who can afford the time and money should see them.
Going inland, the Gorges begin shortly beyond lchang, approximately 1,000 miles from the sea, where the elevation is only 130 feet above sea level. In the next 400 miles, to Chungking, there is an elevation above sea level to 630 feet. Over this 400-mile stretch the mighty Yangtsze crashes through the backbone of the Asiatic continent, irresistibly carving its way to the sea in a deep channel which sunders a mountain range. Nowhere else in the world is there anything quite comparable with the Yangtsze Gorges. They must be seen to be appreciated.
The Gorges may be seen by steamer or from the air. The best season for the steamer trip is from May to November. By steamer the round trip from Shanghai to Chungking requires about three weeks, the fare averaging $400. Transportation is available from several steamship companies.
The Gorges can also be viewed from the air, the airplane trip from Shanghai to Chungking and return requiring four days; round trip fare by air, $780. The cities of Ichang and Chungking both possess many points of interest.ISLAND OF POOTOO The sacred island of Pootoo is fifty miles East of Ningpo (Ningpo is 150 miles South of Shanghai) and is the nearest bathing beach to Shanghai. Pootoo is a hill, from which one of the most important Buddhist gods looks down upon the world. There are about a hundred temples and monasteries, the latter being the residences of some 1,000 monks. The island is the most sacred spot to Chinese Buddhists in Eastern China and, on the alleged birthday of Kwan Yin, the goddess of mercy (l9th day of 11th month of the old Chinese calendar) special stately ceremonies take place in Pootoo to which thousands of monks and laymen from all parts of China make pilgrimages.
During the Summer, from June 1 to the end of September, steamers of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Co. run direct from Shanghai to Pootoo, enabling one to Spend the week-end there. Round trip $40. The Sacred Island has no hotel, but visitors lodge in the temples and monasteries. As the island is purely Buddhist no animal meat is available but eggs and chickens may be obtained from a Chinese hospital which operates in the belief that all foreigners and non-Buddhists are ill and need such nourishment. It is advised that visitors to the island take tinned foods and their own bedding.
It is but recently that foreigners have come to appreciate the natural beauties of Pootoo with its excellent roads and hundreds of shrines and grottos. Each monastery is a triumph of Chinese architecture and contains treasures which have accumulated for many centuries.
unless otherwise indicated
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