Chinese Scenery. — Huge Invitation Cards. 485 



cultivation, the situation of the valleys, and, above all, the 

 ceaseless tide of traffic, as evidenced by the almost innumer- 

 able artificial water-channels which intersect the country in 

 every direction. Quite close to the Pagoda is a Buddha 

 temple, the well-known Lung-liw(5, erected a. d. 230. Of the 

 seventy Buddhist and Taouist temples of the province this is 

 the largest and most beautiful. The rear of the edifice is 

 adorned with countless figures, sometimes of colossal dimen- 

 sions, in wood, plaster, and porcelain, richly carved and gilt. 

 There is also a female statue among these Chinese saints, the 

 attitude strongly suggestive of a Madonna. 



This temple is plainly in connection with the Pagoda, 

 and the various small chambers behind it seem to have been 

 destined for the accommodation of priests and devout pilgrims. 

 According to an old Chinese tradition this temple owes its 

 erection to the following circumstance : — a queen from the 

 south, who had anchored her boat one night In the Whampoa 

 Channel near Wusung, suddenly beheld a light shoot up 

 amid the tall grass^ and rise towards heaven, in consequence 

 of which she gave orders for a temple to be built on the site. 



One of the most interesting episodes of our stay at 

 Shanghai consisted in a genuine Chinese banquet, given by 

 a wealthy native merchant, named Ta-ki, a warm friend of 

 all foreigners, in honour of the Austrian Expedition. The 

 huge invitation cards, wiitten, according to the usual practice 

 of the country, in Chinese characters upon blood-red paper, 

 and folded in envelopes of the same brilliant hue, were sent 



