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CHIN-CHIN
CHIN-CHIN
OR
THE CHINAMAN
AT HOME
BY
TCHENG-KI-TONG
(LATE OF THE IMPERIAL CHINESE LEGATION)
_TRANSLATED BY_
R. H. SHERARD
Published by A. P. MARSDEN
27 Southampton Street, Covent
Garden, London. MDCCCXCV
NOTE.—_The price at which this book is supplied to the Trade will not
permit of its being sold at a discount._
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PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR
The friendly welcome accorded by the English Public to my “Chinese
Painted by Themselves” has encouraged me to publish this translation of
my last work.
Old Epicurus summed up his philosophy in pleasures well understood.
The peoples of the world, all epicureans in a certain measure, amused
themselves before him, and have amused themselves since, each after his
own fashion.
I do not think I shall displease the people of the Country often called
“Merry England” in bringing to their notice “The Chinaman at Home.”
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INTRODUCTORY
Our pleasures are not such as to shock modesty; they are simple and
honest, as becomes an ancient nation, which has left the age of youthful
follies long behind it, has due self-respect, and knows how to amuse
itself decently.
In my book, “Chinese Tales,” I endeavoured to show the minor details
of the life of my compatriots, whose political and social customs I
have described in my other book, “The Chinese Painted by Themselves.”
The object of this new book is to give a picture of our private
amusements and of our small public fêtes. It belongs, accordingly,
to anthropological literature, describing as it does a series of
ethnological phenomena, games, ceremonies, and fêtes, which, however
much they may resemble those to be seen in all other countries, have,
nevertheless, a special character in each country. This character depends
largely on the national conceptions of the people under consideration.
Everybody amuses himself as he thinks best. This affirmation is as
true for nations as it is for individuals. Our joys and our ways of
manifesting them are they not the expression of our individuality? And
when a whole people rejoices in a certain manner, does not that mean that
it offers in its fêtes a kind of picture of its inner life, a synthesis
of its dearest aspirations and desires? Our pleasures are determined
by our moral and philosophical, political, and social views. Religion
has much also to do in fashioning them according to her likeness. The
character of a nation is never better shown than in its enjoyments—its
fêtes; in one word, in its pleasures. Tell me how you amuse yourself, and
I will tell you what you are.
In the task I have laid upon myself of revealing the Asiatic East to
the European West, it seems to me that this new chapter will not be out
of place. In any case, the author will be sufficiently rewarded if the
reader—albeit only for a moment—finds some pleasure in turning over the
leaves of the book he has written.
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CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. THE CHINESE HOME 1
II. RELIGIOUS AND NATIONAL FÊTES 10
III. THE FÊTE OF THE MOON 19
IV. THE FEAST OF LANTERNS 26
V. THE FEAST OF THE TWO STARS 34
VI. THE FEAST OF FLOWERS 39
VII. NEW YEAR’S DAY 43
VIII. THE END OF THE YEAR 54
IX. PROCESSIONS 61
X. A BUDDHIST SOLEMNITY 70
XI. RUSTIC PLEASURES—WALKS AND PILGRIMAGES 79
XII. BATHING 88
XIII. KITE-FLYING 93
XIV. THE ILLUMINATED BOATS 97
XV. GARDENING 102
XVI. THE CHASE 113
XVII. FISHING 119
XVIII. CHARMING WOMAN—COQUETRY 125
XIX. FANS 133
XX. CELEBRATED BEAUTIES 139
XXI. SYSTEM OF EDUCATION—THE STUDENT 146
XXII. POETICAL COMPETITIONS 155
XXIII. PAINTERS 163
XXIV. CHESS 171
XXV. AT TABLE—THE PLEASURE OF DRINKING 178
XXVI. TEA-DRINKING 185
XXVII. CHOPSTICKS 192
XXVIII. CHINESE COOKING 197
XXIX. GAMES OF SKILL: CONJURING 208
XXX. THE EVOCATION OF SPIRITS 217
XXXI. PHRENOLOGY AND CHIROMANCY 223
XXXII. DIFFERENT GAMES—ORIENTAL SHOOTING MATCHES—THE
CANDLESTICK—SHUTTLECOCKS—THE COIN GAME 232
XXXIII. GAMES OF CHANCE—CARD GAMES—FIRST GAME: AWAITING
THE CARD—SECOND GAME: FISHING—THIRD GAME: THE
PECKING GAME 239
XXXIV. LOTTERIES 247
XXXV. PUBLIC PLEASURES—THE THEATRES 255
XXXVI. ANIMAL FIGHTS—I. CRICKET FIGHTS—II. QUAIL FIGHTS 261
XXXVII. CONCLUSION—THE PLEASURES OF A PHILOSOPHER 266
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CHIN-CHIN; OR, THE CHINAMAN AT HOME
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CHAPTER I
_THE CHINESE HOME_
I remember reading in Mr. Paleologue’s clever book, “L’Art Chinois,” the
statement “that China never had but one single style of architecture,
throughout all the periods of its history, for her public and private,
civic, or ecclesiastical buildings.”
Now, a close observer will notice in our buildings a great variety of
styles, the fineness of which naturally is lost upon those who do not
take the trouble to examine them carefully. It is just like a passer-by
looking at some of the new streets in Paris, where all the houses are
built by one and the same building company, and resemble one another
externally; or at the grand avenues in New York City, or the long
_strassen_ in Karlsruhe, spread out round a central square in the shape
of a fan. At first sight one cannot help the exclamation that these
buildings produce a desperately monotonous impression.
But should you pay the architect a visit and examine the plans of these
various constructions, you cannot fail to notice that not one interior
resembles another. The difference is as slight as the physiognomies of
different people, who have the same features but have different faces.
It is true that long ago there was little variety in our architectural
styles, but in spite of that it can be asserted that each of our cities
has a special character, and presents, as far as its buildings are
concerned, distinctive features.
There are many reasons for this want of variety. In the first place,
those foreign elements, which so often so profoundly modified European
architecture, have been almost completely wanting in China. Then it
must be remembered that official prescriptions regulate the style of
houses for different functionaries, a custom which must necessarily
limit architectural originality and fancy; and then there is tradition,
which is so powerful in our country, and which did not allow of any
modification of the pure Chinese style, which had been consecrated by the
use of centuries.
Let us now examine the different kinds of Chinese houses.
In the northern districts, less favoured by Nature, buildings are
generally constructed of earth. It is only the palaces and the houses of
rich people of which the framework is of wood. In spite of the severity
of the climate and the quantities of dust which are brought by the
wind from the sandy regions, these houses have, generally speaking, two
stories, in which they differ considerably from the houses in the south,
which have rarely more than one. The walls are low, with but a very
slight curve at the top, whereas in the south this curve, which we style
“the saddle,” is very pronounced. These walls are called “fire-walls,”
because they are intended to protect the house against fire.
The upper storey is called “the pavilion of the horse races,” a name I
have never been able to account for, as the staircases were never such as
to allow of horses being brought up them. This upper storey is generally
used as a place of pleasure, the ground floor being preferred as an
ordinary dwelling-place. The Chinese love symmetry in all things, and so,
no matter the size of the ground on which they build, their houses are
always constructed so that the drawing-room is just opposite the entrance
door, and that on either side of it there be one or two rooms exactly
the same. Instead of speaking of our houses as having so many rooms, we
say, “It has such a number of rooms on the front—three, five, seven,” &c.
The following is a description of a good average middle-class dwelling:
On entering you find yourself in a large antechamber, flanked on the
right and on the left by a servants’ room. Facing you are three doors,
one large and two small, giving access to a courtyard, which is entered
by descending a staircase of three steps. On either side of the courtyard
there is first a paved gallery, then a room. One of these rooms is
reserved for the children of the house, the other is a smoking-room, or
small drawing-room.
The drawing-room is reached by ascending the three steps on the other
side of the yard. On its left and right hand side there are one, two,
or three rooms. Behind the drawing-room is the dining-room, flanked
also on either side with one, two, or three rooms. Then comes a second
courtyard, with the kitchen and lumber-room on the right and left. If
the house is a large one, you will find three, five, or seven more
rooms behind this courtyard. The same distribution may be repeated over
and over again where the habitation is very vast. The garden, with its
kiosques and its artificial rockeries, is on one of the wings, and is
surrounded with walls.
The rent of an ordinary house, such as the one that I have just
described, is about two pounds eight shillings a year.
The roof is more or less elevated, but it always is very sloping, and is
covered with overlapping tiles, so as to allow the rain to run off easily.
The windows are large, the framework being of wood. The panes are of
glass, silk, or transparent paper, according to the part of the country.
Instead of endeavouring to protect themselves against draughts, the
Chinese do all they can to procure currents of air through the house.
The interior decoration is generally very luxurious. The prominent parts
of the wood-work are carved, the flat parts are varnished. The walls are
hidden behind paintings representing historical scenes; the wall which
fronts the drawing-room is usually painted with a subject referring to
the rank of the master of the house. On entering the drawing-room the eye
is at once caught by the sight of a gilt and carved box, which hangs from
the horizontal rafter under the roof. On either side of it is a large
gilt dragon, who seems to be guarding it. This box contains the patents
of nobility or commissions of official rank held by the proprietor.
The paper on which the words “Happiness” or “Long Life,” which are given
to members of the family by the Emperor according to their merits, are
also hung up in this place.
The furniture of the drawing-room is extremely simple. There is a long,
large table in the middle, with eight chairs arranged on the two sides;
between each set of two chairs is a little square tea-table. Then there
are two square stools.
The places of visitors are arranged according to their rank; the stools
are always reserved for the master of the house. When the visit is a
ceremonious one, or there is a fête in the family, the chairs, which are
usually of marble or of bamboo, are covered with embroidered red satin
covers, which is just the contrary of what is done in Europe, where the
furniture is uncovered for receiving. There are always a large mirror,
a vase of flowers, a plate of decorative fruits, and a clock on the
drawing-room table. In the centre stands a scent-burner.
On the walls are rolls of autographs or paintings from the pens and
pencils of celebrities of style or of art. Very few nick-nacks are to
be seen in our drawing-rooms, which we make as severe and simple as
we can. Only occasionally does one see a few nick-nacks in the little
drawing-rooms, or in the pleasure kiosk in the garden. The greater part
are hidden away in cupboards, and are only produced at the Fête of the
Moon, of which I speak further on, or on certain religious festivals.
We have neither cupboards in the walls, such as are the delight of
Parisian housewives, nor alcoves in our houses in China.
This is a fair description of a Chinese home. I do not speak of the
dwelling-places of the poor, which are as sad as little decorative.
Happiness, it has been said, has no history, but it is wealth that alone
admits of description. Misery is not to be depicted, unless, as in
Theophile Gautier’s “Capitaine Fracasse,” it is lodged in an old castle,
picturesquely in ruins.
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