Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . every evening during the continuance of the universalrescue, excepting the first and the last evenings. Let the above brief account intimate the usual method ofoperating during the daytime and the evenings until the lastnight of the performance. The interest culminates on the lastevening. Very often the half of this night is occupied in per-forming various extra ceremonies, designed to benefit, in sev-eral ways, th
Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . every evening during the continuance of the universalrescue, excepting the first and the last evenings. Let the above brief account intimate the usual method ofoperating during the daytime and the evenings until the lastnight of the performance. The interest culminates on the lastevening. Very often the half of this night is occupied in per-forming various extra ceremonies, designed to benefit, in sev-eral ways, the spirits which may attend, or which may desireto attend. Frequently a large number of small and cheap earthen ves-sels, shaped somewhat like bowls, is provided, or sometimes apiece of a board is used. A preparation of pitch and someother inflammable material, or some oil, or a candle, is put ineach. Around the top of the outside of each are fastened pa-per imitations of lotus flowers, or other pretty flowers. Earlyin the evening, these vessels are carried in a procession ofpriests from the place where the principal ceremonies are per- 104 SINGULAR AND POPULAR FLOATING OFF TUB WATER-LAMPS. formed to the edge of the nearest running water, where, thepitch or oil having been lighted, the vessels are placed care-fully on the water and allowed to float away. The object ofthis is explained to be, to afford lights for the spirits thatcome or go by water. The priests coming to the water andgoing from it, on this occasion, chant their classics, and claptheir cymbals together, walking along slowly and in singlefile. This ceremony is called letting go the water-lamps. A farce called breaking into hell is enacted in something likethe following manner, the object being to rescue the spiritsconfined there. Five common earthen tiles are placed on theground a few feet from each other, one being put in the centreof a square and four at its corners. In the midst are alsoplaced on
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidsociallifeof, bookyear1865
