Peeps into China . right, for nohigh towers, church spires, or colossal residences appearin sight. But Peking is not Paris, Constantinople, orNew York. When only a mile distant you may seerising up from the plain a high wall crowned withwarlike buttresses—but, besides, nothing more to tellthat thinking, feeling people dwell within. Yourfancy is running wild until you pass through acity gate over a hideous stone road, your head jerkedin all directions at well-nigh the same moment oftime. Entering the city, you see a fairyland in openday, not magnificent, but only novel. On and on youride, and a
Peeps into China . right, for nohigh towers, church spires, or colossal residences appearin sight. But Peking is not Paris, Constantinople, orNew York. When only a mile distant you may seerising up from the plain a high wall crowned withwarlike buttresses—but, besides, nothing more to tellthat thinking, feeling people dwell within. Yourfancy is running wild until you pass through acity gate over a hideous stone road, your head jerkedin all directions at well-nigh the same moment oftime. Entering the city, you see a fairyland in openday, not magnificent, but only novel. On and on youride, and another gate is passed, and by and by another,and soon still another, and in all this you find it hardto realise that Peking is not one city with one citywall, but four cities with populous suburbs outside ofeach of the thirteen outer gates. The encircling wallis some twenty miles long, with varying , in the south, is the wall of the Chinese city,some thirty feet high and fifteen feet wide at the The Imperial City of Peking 101 Then, to the north, comes the higher wall of theManchu or Tartar city, some fifty feet high and fortyfeet wide at the top. Though thus divided into twocities, the Chinese and Manchus intermingle—theManchu emperor still ruling over all China, but theChinese more and more gaining the mastery in business,and practically the best informed in politics. In themidst of the northern city is a wall surrounding theimperial city, wherein is more seclusion than is pos-sible without. Inside this is still another wall, whichsurrounds the forbidden city, which none but officialsare allowed to enter. Here the emperor dwells,distinct from the life of his people, and in himselfpowerless to rule the empire. Peking has its sights, or no traveller accustomed toluxurious steamers and carriages would endure eitherthe journey there or the inconveniences of the placeitself. In distinguishing the attractions, the first prizemust be given to the places of for
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmissions, bookyear189
