554 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 



semicircular ritualistic pool; they look toward the center of the 

 pathway of the ghosts in the main axis. This pathway is a silent, 

 unspoken idea, related to some religions, in which the name of 

 the highest Being dare not be mentioned. No steps lead up to the 

 elevated hall, these are replaced with an inclined marble slab that is 

 splendidly engraved with significant scenes (pi. 4, fig. 2). 



Lao-ye is known as the god of war by the Europeans, as he was a 

 renowned general. But for the Chinese he is the god of excellent 

 life conduct, of tried faith, and an ideal of these virtues. The two 

 dragons are depicted as playing around this image of perfection, on 

 the back wall of the altar in the home city of Lao-ye at Kai-chou in 

 Shansi. It is a repetition of the expression of the struggle for highest 

 perfection. This life-like statue of the hero from the golden period 

 of China's knights, that of the three kingdoms, is specially honored. 

 The image appears to be reading the Ch'un ch'iu, the fifth canonical 

 book (pi. 4, fig. 1). 



The dragon gate remains to be mentioned. This is the entrance 

 to perfection. Whosoever crosses by the pathway of the ghosts — 

 whosoever knows that the two principles of the gate are for the 

 apprehension of the eternal — for this initiated one the door of wisdom 

 is opened. It is said of a student who has passed his examinations 

 that he has passed through the dragon gate. He has the pearl of 

 perfection or is identified with it. 



It is said " The fish rushes through the dragon gate." Formerly 

 a stupid, ignorant, dumb fish, but after having passed through the 

 dragon gate, he is changed into a dragon ; that is, a being of intellect 

 and power. That is done by the divine breath of the powerful 

 dragon in the clouds in the air, which blows his animating breath 

 through the dragon gate. In the swirl of waters between the cliffs 

 and rocks, the carp swim around to partake of the enlightenment 

 (pi. 5, fig. 2). 



They are not content with two dragons, but multiply them as there 

 are forces and phenomena. The most naturally increased number is 

 8, corresponding to the eight trigrams. Beneath a vaulted roof a 

 dragon coils around each of the supporting columns, struggling 

 toward the center from whose zenith the divine pearl of perfection 

 is suspended. 



The dragon always represents something thoroughly good, while 

 the serpent something related to the demoniac, the incalculable, and 

 in opposition, as if belonging to the devil Mephistopheles, but it is 

 not in any respect wicked or evil of itself. It is combined with 

 the conception of the dark kingdom of the nether world, as is con- 

 ceived in the celebrated entrance Fengtu, on the Yangtze in Sze- 

 ch'uan. This mountain has a mysterious opening near its summit, 

 which is the entrance to the world below. It is covered with temples 



