PEKING--THE SEA PALACE
The Autumnal Sacrifices to his Ancestors and His Majesty’s consequent
three days’ abstinence, to prepare for them, put a stop to further
festivities after the Birthday, which would have otherwise continued
for several days longer. The day after the Birthday was a quiet one at
the Palace. Her Majesty was feeling tired and did not care to pose,
after the Audience in the morning. The visiting Princesses and Ladies
were preparing to leave the Palace; the eunuchs and Her Majesty’s maids
were bustling around, preparing for the moving of the Court to Peking,
for Her Majesty and the Court, as well as the Emperor, were to go into
one of the City Palaces the following day. Her Majesty ordered luncheon
to be served in one of the beautiful summer-houses in the gardens,
about a mile from the Palace, for she said a change would be good for
all.
This summer-house, or rather Palace, situated on a hill overlooking
the lake, was one of Her Majesty’s favorite resorts. She often went
to it, after a tiring Audience, and spent the rest of the day there,
lunching and dining, and even taking her siesta there. Whenever she
went to any of these Palaces inside the inclosure, she always invited
all the Ladies of the Court to accompany her. It made a change in the
monotony of their lives. This Palace was very luxuriously fitted up,
and contained a splendid library, with thousands of volumes of the
classics and Her Majesty’s favorite authors. The view from its broad
verandahs and fair marble terraces was one of the finest, even of the
many beautiful ones, in the grounds. We lunched on the wide verandah
and drank in the beauty of the scene. No wonder Her Majesty loved this
spot! Beneath lay the beautiful grounds of the Summer Palace, with its
calm lake and winding streams. On an eminence beyond, the graceful
seven-storied pagoda that forms so characteristic a feature in all
the views of the Summer Palace, proudly reared its stately height. On
the right lay the temple-crowned hills, the upturned roofs of their
buildings nestling on their slopes like a flight of gigantic gaily-hued
birds, with wings outspread. In the distance, beyond a soft gray
undulating landscape, with fields of brilliant green here and there,
lay Peking, with its walls and towers, enveloped in a golden haze.
[Illustration: AT THE AMERICAN LEGATION, PEKING]
After luncheon and the siesta, Her Majesty called me up and said she
was to go into Peking on the morrow, and asked whether I wished the
portrait to be taken in for the three days the Court was to remain
in the City. She said she would be much occupied with ceremonies and
sacrifices, and there would be but little time for painting, but if I
wished to work she might be able to give me a short sitting! I told
her I did not care to have the portrait taken into the City, for I
knew it would not be possible to get a room with the same light as that
in which I had begun the picture. When she found I did not care to
paint in Peking, she suggested that I go to the United States Legation
and spend the time of the Court’s sojourn at the Sea Palace. It had
been more than two weeks since I had seen Mrs. Conger, or been in the
Legation quarter, and I was delighted at Her Majesty’s kind forethought
in allowing me to spend these days at the Legation. She, however,
suggested that, as I had not seen the Sea Palace, where the Court
was to go, I might enjoy coming there for the day--and spending some
of the time in seeing the Palace and grounds. She knew how I enjoyed
seeing these beautiful Palaces, and this was another proof of her
consideration. She said she would be much occupied with the ceremonies,
but that she would map out a nice day for me, and would herself take
me for a walk! She added, “This will give you a chance to study me, so
your time will not be entirely spent in vain.” She said we would resume
the portrait on the Court’s return to the Summer Palace.
After our return to her Throne-room, and when we had finished dinner,
she told me I had better go into the room where the portrait and my
materials were kept, when I was not working on it, and said I had
better overlook its being put away myself. She followed me into the
room, and herself aided and directed the arrangement of things. She
ordered the “sacred picture” (for this is what the Chinese call a
likeness of a reigning Emperor or Empress) to be attached to the wall
with yellow cords and covered with a transparent yellow silk, box-like
screen, which had been especially made to protect it from dust. The
portrait was treated, from its very beginning, as an almost sacred
object, with the respect a reverent officiant accords the Holy Vessels
of the Church. Even my painting materials seemed to be invested with
a sort of semi-sacred quality. When Her Majesty felt fatigued, and
indicated that the sittings were finished, my brushes and palette were
taken by the eunuch from my hands, the portrait removed from the easel
and reverently consigned to the room that had been set aside for it.
The next morning early, I preceded the Court into Peking and went
directly to the United States Legation, where I was warmly welcomed
by my kind friends, Mr. and Mrs. Conger. The United States Legation
occupied, at this time, a Chinese temple near the “Water Gate.” This
building had been given to the United States Government by the Chinese
after the Boxer rebellion, and was occupied temporarily by the Minister
of the United States during the construction of the new Legation on
Legation Street. The temple had been transformed into a comfortable
American dwelling-place--its Chinese individuality having been
preserved wherever possible, consistent with comfort. The shaded court,
filled with beautiful, growing flowers (many of them gifts from the
Empress Dowager to Mrs. Conger), was a charming spot. While distinctly
American as to its artistic comfort and furniture, the interior
construction and decoration of the drawing-room were purely Chinese,
which gave a touch of Oriental “couleur locale” to this pleasant haven
of American hospitality, where Mr. and Mrs. Conger dispensed their
kindly favors.
Mrs. Conger, by her own individual initiative, has done much to bring
about a friendly social feeling between the Chinese and foreign ladies.
It was she who first thought of entertaining the Princesses and Ladies
of the Court in her own home; and the United States Legation was
the first of the Legations in Peking to issue an invitation to the
Ladies of the Court, or to entertain them. It is the first Legation to
entertain other Chinese ladies, wives of officials or of the gentry.
Several other Legations have since entertained the Ladies of the Court,
but in doing so they were only following Mrs. Conger’s initiative.
While doing so much to bring about friendly social relations with the
Chinese, Mr. and Mrs. Conger receive all Americans, regardless of their
importance or social position, with a kind cordiality. I was delighted
to be in their charming family circle once more. I found my room at the
Legation, with its sweet touches of homeliness, a delightful haven, and
my visits to the Legation seemed always like going home.
The next morning at seven, a green official chair with its bearers
came to take me to the Sea Palace. I was first carried to the
Hsien-Liang-Hsu, the “Temple of the loyal and virtuous,” where
Li-Hung-Chang formerly had his home in Peking, and a part of which the
Yu-Kengs had arranged for their home after their return from their
mission at Paris, their own semi-foreign house having been destroyed by
the Boxers. At the Hsien-Liang-Hsu I was joined by the Ladies Yu-Keng,
and we continued on to the Sea Palace. Our chairs, with their bearers,
were preceded and followed by mounted attendants.
The Sea Palace is a comparatively new Palace, most of it having
been built within the last fifty years. Our chairs were met at the
northern entrance by the same eunuchs who had been set aside for our
service at the Summer Palace. They led us to the boats in waiting to
carry us across the lake, to the buildings occupied by Her Majesty
and the Court. These boats were of the houseboat variety, with an
inclosed cabin forming the center, and a platform running all around,
on which the rowers walked up and down propelling it. The interior
was carpeted, with a cushioned lounge, tea-tables, and chairs. The
eunuchs and attendants sat outside on the prow. It takes twenty minutes
to row across the lake in one of these boats, but the movement is
delightful. When we reached the other side, we landed and went through
several courts to that of one of Her Majesty’s private chapels. She,
herself, had just been making an offering here, and was coming out,
preceded by acolytes swinging incense-burners, the musicians playing
the “Imperial Hymn.” When she saw us, Her Majesty called us to her
side, asked if I had had a good trip into Peking, and how Mrs. Conger
was. She then ordered the eunuchs to show us our apartments. We were
led through corridors and courts to a charming pavilion which was to
be our resting-place while at the Sea Palace. It had exquisitely and
elaborately carved woodwork arches with heavy satin curtains, which
divided it into five rooms. After we had rested a few moments here, we
returned to the Throne-room. Her Majesty told me she had arranged for
me to go out in one of the boats, and that I was to be shown all that I
cared to see, or at least as much as I could see in that day. A eunuch
standing near her held a number of strips of embroidery in his hand.
They were embroidered head-dresses, which are placed upon the heads
of the Buddhas during the great ceremonies in the Palace temples. She
explained their use to me and then dismissed us, and we went out to the
landing-place on the lake.
A number of boats lay at the foot of the steps--among them a charming
open barge with blue silken awnings. As I had not been in a boat of
this kind before, and as I was told to choose, I selected it for our
row; and we started off, followed by several other boats carrying
eunuchs and refreshments, with the necessary utensils for serving
them. Our head eunuch, one of the six highest in the Palace, who had
been appointed to look after me and the “sacred picture,” was very
intelligent, an enlightened lover of Chinese art, and a great collector
of old Chinese paintings and curios. He had been, in his youth, one
of Her Majesty’s favorite players, was said to have great dramatic
talent, and, when he was younger, had a fine voice for singing. Memory
is among the most esteemed of the intellectual faculties by the Chinese
and reaches a high state of cultivation with them. Many of the eunuchs
can repeat whole pages from the classics, and some are accomplished
literati. This eunuch had a good speaking voice, and recited poems and
told stories in a charming way. As we were rowed along, he stood at the
prow and recited verse after verse of classic lore and told stories
of the heroic times. He intoned them like a recitative--the rhythm
so perfectly observed, the intoning so musical, it was a pleasure to
listen to him, though I could not understand.
I lay back among the cushions, as we glided softly along, past
beautiful pavilions, with splendid trees overhanging the lake and
lovely flowers growing wherever there was a place to plant them. The
tall figure of the splendidly attired eunuch, standing in the prow,
repeating, with rhythmic cadence, poems and stories, gave one the
illusion and charm of the “Arabian Nights,” which I had fed upon in my
childhood, and which I seemed to be living through to-day.
We soon came to a tiny islet in the lake, with a sort of open temple
built over a black marble tablet which bore an incised inscription.
I asked to land and examine it, and San-Gunia, the eldest of Lady
Yu-Keng’s daughters, a remarkably clever girl and well posted in
Chinese literature, translated the characters. The inscription was a
poem, a tribute to the Great Father who had graciously placed there
this island, which “by night was bathed in the glory of the Moon and
Sun-kissed by day, while the crystal waters of the lake formed a
brilliant necklace on its breast.”
Beyond the island I saw a temple. There was no landing-place, and the
temple was under repair. The head eunuch, however, seeing how much I
wished to go up, had the boat draw near and steps brought, up which we
clambered, as best we could.
This was one of the temples so ruthlessly destroyed and unnecessarily
desecrated by the Allies during their occupation of Peking. We passed
through the vegetable garden of the monks--all shorn of its glory,
but where a few vegetables and flowers still grew--and we went on
through a beautiful grove of arbor-vitæ, with centuries-old trees,
planted in the form of a cross, and came into the court of the temple.
Even in its dilapidated state, with the workmen still in it, it was
beautiful, and before it was so injured it must have been a splendid
example of Chinese temple architecture. The cells of the lama monks
were now unoccupied, and there were no officiating priests. Workmen
were repairing and regilding the Great Buddha, and most of the effigies
of the saints and images of the personified attributes were standing
in dejected rows in the corridors awaiting the completion of their
niches and chapels. The interior, of splendid proportions, glowed in
beautiful somber colors. The carved wood ceilings were in pendentive
designs, recalling those I had seen in the Alhambra; but the painting,
in primary colors, of this elaborately carved ceiling gave it a greater
richness of coloring and lent to the interior a warmer, deeper harmony
than the white Moorish designs. The chapels behind the high altar were
separated from the main temple and from each other by beautifully
carved wooden screens, with rich brocaded silk of brilliant green (the
color of Buddha), stretched behind the open-work and showing through
the interstices of the carving. These chapels are for the Sacred
writings and for the vestments of the priests, and are also used for
robing- and retiring-rooms for the officiants. They correspond to the
sacristies of the Catholic Churches in Europe.
The space behind the altar was of apse-like form, and opened upon a
semi-circular marble terrace, thirty feet high, with a balustrade of
the conventionalized lotus design so dear to the Chinese architects.
From this terrace we had a beautiful view of the Coal Hill, surmounted
by the curious Dagoba, so well known in all views of the Imperial City,
as well as of the belvedere that marks the spot where the last Emperor
of the Mings committed suicide when he was conquered. At the two
extremities of the terrace were charming octagonal summer-houses, where
the priests could go for rest and contemplation, and, while murmuring
their prayers, could feast their eyes upon a charming view. After a few
moments on the terrace, enjoying the beautiful view, we passed through
the cells of the monks, which were large and comfortable, and, finally,
out again into the sun-flecked shade of the marble-paved court, where
we sat under low-hanging boughs of a splendid elm, and the eunuchs
brought out tables and served us with tea and refreshments.
Then we took the boats and were rowed on further, till we came beneath
a steep battlemented wall, surmounted by the rich green of arbor-vitæ
trees. I was surprised to learn that this was another temple, for it
looked more like an old feudal castle than a peaceful temple to the
mild Buddha. We landed at the foot of the beautiful white Marble Bridge
that spans the narrow northern portion of the lake, just under the
stone wall on which the temple was built. We were carried up the steep,
winding incline in our chairs. It was a most picturesque approach, and
when we reached the top, with the beautiful temple lying peacefully on
these martial heights, we found it well worth the climb.
There was a grove of arbor-vitæ trees leading to this temple. These
trees seem to be sacred to the temples and burial-places in China, for
all I ever visited in China were either built in a grove of arbor-vitæ,
or had some of these evergreens growing near. Did the Greeks get their
idea and name of the ever-living tree from the Chinese, who regard the
arbor-vitæ as the tree of life and emblem of Immortality? This temple
has a great Buddha of white jade, with jeweled stole and cuffs. Its
expression of placid contemplation and kindly thought is typically
Chinese. When Buddhism was first brought into China from India, the
Buddhas had an Indian type; and not until the religion had taken firm
hold of the people, was its divinity clothed in a Chinese personality,
and a national individuality assumed. The day of our visit, the great
jade Buddha was decked in a mantle of Imperial yellow satin, with a
richly embroidered Manchu hood, such as I had seen that morning in
Her Majesty’s Throne-room, on its head. Tall, lighted candles, fresh
offerings of fruit and flowers, and the smoking censer standing on
the altar, showed there had been services that morning, and added
to the religious atmosphere of the interior. The service had been
a continuation of the commemorative celebrations in honor of the
Emperor’s Birthday and his sacrifice to his Ancestors.
The principal court of this temple is one of the most picturesque in
the Sea Palace, shaded by magnificent cedars and stately elms. In the
center, there was a magnificent cistern of verd-antique, splendidly
carved in dragons. Over this cistern was a marble portico, its columns
supporting a curious concave, copper roof. This roof had been a Palace
“cooking utensil,” that had been used in former times to prepare food
for the poor; hence its extraordinary size. When it was worn out in
this capacity it was used as the interior of the dome over the temple
well, where the poor and weary could come to rest under its shadow
and drink of the water of the well it protected. There were cells and
outhouses for the monks in this temple also. But as we sat in the
shady court, looking across the sunlit lake, the sky became suddenly
overcast, and we took our chairs and hurried down the steep, paved
road that led from the temple to the lake. We did not take the boats
again on reaching the lake, but were carried, in our chairs, across
the beautiful Marble Bridge. Just beyond us, we saw the towers of the
first Catholic Cathedral ever built in Peking. It was built on land
given to the Catholics by the Emperor; but, when finished, its towers
were found to overlook the Palace grounds; so the Cathedral was bought
by the Emperor, and land was given the Mission further on, and another
Cathedral was built. The first Cathedral is now within the Walls of the
Sea Palace, and is visible from every part of the grounds of the two
Peking Palaces. It seems a strange anomaly to see this Christian Church
within the Precincts of the Palace of an Oriental potentate, who is
one of the representatives on earth of the “Great Buddha.”
It began to rain, and the chair-bearers ran along to the Palace without
stopping again, and we were soon called to dinner in the Throne-room,
overlooking the small Theater, for there are two Theaters in the Sea
Palace, one for winter use and one for summer. The latter is built on
piles over the waters of a canal. Building the stage over water is
supposed to give a peculiar musical resonance to the voices of the
actors, softening the sounds and making them more pleasant to the ear.
After dinner in the beautiful summer Throne-room, with the rippling
waters just beneath the windows, we made our adieus, first to Her
Majesty and then to the young Empress and Ladies, and went out to be
again rowed over the beautiful lake to the outside gates. The sun was
setting! The arches of the Marble Bridge had become a beautiful, deep
violet hue, and spanned the waters of the lake, now a gleaming mass
of liquid gold. The sky beyond shone through the masses of foliage
with a golden glow, and the towers of the old Cathedral were strongly
silhouetted against this brilliant background. The scene was an ideal
one. A beautiful silence pervaded everything, made the more rhythmic
and intense by the regular movement of the oars in the water. When
we reached the other side of the lake we were conducted to our green
chairs, which were waiting without the gate, and were swiftly carried
back to the Legation.