Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/749

* CHIiraSB EMPIRE. 651 CHINESE EMPIRE. Ss in the Boxer uprising. In all their inter- course, espcei.Tlly anionj; the higher classes, a tedious and laborious etiquette rules all actions, the Chinese being the slaves of i)reeedent, a cir- cumstance which accounts in part for that lack of mental initiative which is the curse of the nation. Chinese manners uere rci;ulated by the code in the Li-Kingr or Book of Kites, 3000 years a<:o, and anything that savors of innovation is hooted down as impiety, if not treason. At Pe- king a department of the Government, the Board of Rites, has charge of the interpretation of the Li-King and the direction of ceremonies. The Chinese arc therefore prone to think that most Occidentals, though good mechanics, perhaps, are destitute of politeness and morals. The daily food of the Chinese is for the most part rice with a morsel of pork or poultry, though millet is much tised by the poor in the north. In their cookery, which in the main is wholesome, are some ])eculiar delicacies, such as soup made from a glutinous substance that is found in birds' nests, sharks' fins, deer-sinews, and ducks' tongues. Their drink is brewed from rice and is a kind of beer, though distilled liquors from the same grain are very strong. The sam- shu of southern China and the whisky of >Ian- churia. with the unextracted fusel oil, make mis- chieous drunkards. Usually, however, liquor is dnmk hot out of tiny cups at mealtime, and tea before or after meais only, in cups that have no saucer or handle, but a cover which holds the 'draw.' Out of this cover, the Euro- peans, on intro<lucing tea. made a saucer, adding a handle to the cup. Many festivals and holy days, local, religious, and national, are cele- brated, but the greatest of all is Xew Year's Day, before which debts are paid and now cloth- ing is bought. Congratulations and festivities prevail, for this is every one's birthday, all dating their ages from this day. Though a child be bom twenty-four hours before Xew Year's Day, it is considered to he in its second year. The Festival of the First Full Moon, the Feast of Lan- terns, and the Festival of the Dragon Boat, are the other famous holidays. The streets on such occa- sions are full of music and gaiety, and night is turned into day by myriads of lanterns made of paper and gorgeous with painted scenes in many hues. The Chinaman is usually afraid of losing his dignity by active effort, and outdoor sports are not as yet in vogue, unless some utilitarian object is in view, kite-flying and shuttlecock being the most violent in which adults engage; but cards and dominoes, the theatre, gossiping and visit- ing, story-telling, peep-shows and entertjiinments given by itinerant showmen are very common and much enjoyed. There are hundreds of children's games and sports. Thou.sands of traveling per- formers, acrobats, wonder-workers, marionette- players, and purveyors of amusements of every sort, includinsr nsovable refreshment stands and bake-shops. gain a living by amusing the little folks. Nonsense rhymes and comic doggerel for children are chanted by nurses and parents, though for the most part these are as unknown to foreigners as of old the .Arabian Nights' Enter- tainments were to the closet students of Arabic. The Chinese do not shake hands, and kissing is unknown among them, but prostrations, saluta- tions, and congratulations are very frequent. From the standpoint of common sense, the Chinese dress is one of the best in the world. Vol. IV.— 1-.'. varying in material and thickness according to the season ; the state of temperature usually takes its name and quality from the number of girments put on. One prominent idea in the theorv of Chinese dress is to conceal or mini- mize the visible distinctions of sex. and only in their head-dress and footgear are the women noticeably dilVerent in ap|)earance from the men. A loose jacket fitting closely around the neck, and short wide trousers, are the principal gar. nients. Shoes are made of silk or cotton, with thick felt soles, but the upper classes wear boots of satin, into which they thrust their f,ans or pipes. The mourning color is white. Until their conquest by the Manchus, the Chinese wore their hair like the Koreans, gathered in a knot at the top, and only after much bloodshed were the con- querors able to compel the Chinese to adopt the s^llbol of subordination and loyalty. Now 200,- 000.000 males shave the front part of their heads and braid their hair in a long queue. This fash- ion gives employment to multitudes of barbers, for it is rarely that even a poor man attends to his own hair-dressing. For months after the death of an emperor, an event which allows no one to shave for a hundred days, the barbers have difficulty in earning a living. Hot water is pre- ferred both for drinking and washing. After meals the face is wiped with a damp hot cloth. It is thought dangerous in itself to put cold water in the stomach, as it certainly is where drainage is so little attended to. Water to be drunk is first boiled. L'nlike the Manchu women, Chinese girls, especially among the upper classes, have their feet bound in early childhood. After the torture of years is over, the lady with 'lilies' totters about as best she can, rarely going out of the house, and hearing of the outside world through servants and visitors, her circle of friends contracting rather than enlarging as life goes on. For Art in China, see Chtxese .AjiT. Religiox. There are five religions in China that are well established. These are the Con- fucian, Buddhist. Taoist, Mohammedan, and Christian: each of them a 'book' religion, and, excepting Taoism, with an historical founder. The religion of the ancient Chinese consisted of the double worship of God and of ancestors. Confucius gathered up and gave literary form to the national traditions. In doing this he so edited the ancient documents as to throw into shadow the spiritual and to lay emphasis upon the material side of life. By forbidding ambition he cut the tap-root of progress and produi'ed a stagnant civilization. His system is still the basis of Chinese society and government. It is less a religion than a philosophy and practi- cal code, having reference simply to this life, and making good citizens and neighbors rather than developing the possibilities of mankind. On its philosophical side. Confucianism has gone through many changes, until it has become the cieed and the substitute for religion with the lettered classes. (See Cnr-ni.) Though his tab- let is saluted, and sacrifices of oxen and sheep are made before it at the equinoxes, it is liardly ac- curate to say that Confucius is worshiped. Lao-tse (q.v. ) — or. to Latinize it. Laocius^ a contemporary of Confucius, though older than he. was more of a true philosopher or inquirer into the causes of things. He taught the doctrine of Tao. His remarkable treatise, the