Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/44

 40 Ling-Nam.

veritable potters’ field, the space being used, in the interval between executions, as the drying-ground for the pottery works adjoining.

Re-entering the city, we pass the arseual, where guns are cast and munitions of war prepared under the superin- tendence of men trained in western methods, and soon find ourselves in the open court before the Emperor’s Temple called the “ Man-Shan-Kungi,” or “ Palace of Ten Thousand Ages.” It consists of a series of halle, one behind the other, built of wood painted red, with dragons in white ontlined over the surface, and roofed with tiles of imperial yellow. No image of any sort appears within, only a large gilt tablet, on which are inscribed the words, “May the Emperor live ten thousand years, ten thonsand times ten thousand years.” Worship is here offered by the officials alone, on New Year's morning and on the Emperor’s birthday, and special mourning rites performed at stated times on the occasion of the death of certain members of the royal family. ‘The New Year’s ceremonies are by far the most con- spieuous and important. At that time every official in the city, from the lowest. to the highest, must pay homage before the imperial tablet. The gates of the city are open all night long to facilitate the arrival of the mandarins. The lowest in rank goes first, so that the highest may have some one to receive him, and sends word to the next above him that he has started, and after a certain interval he sets out, sending a similar message to his superior. In this way they gather, those below a certain rank—that is, from the Prefect downward—remain- ing in the court in front, while the Tao-tais and all