the eastern border of the province of Shensi, not far from T'ung-kuan, and is 

 supposed to represent Buddha's hand. The pictures of both mountains have 

 something of the form of charts, each temple having its name cut beside it ; 

 whilst the paths up to them are marked by dotted lines. Sweeping clouds, 

 mountain torrents, lakes and waterfalls are all represented conventionally, 

 but with wonderful grace. 



Our attention is next drawn to what is known as the Kuo-fing, a sort of 

 lobby that divides one court from another in large Chinese buildings. Here 

 we find the famous Nestorian tablet,* about which so much has been written. 

 This was erected about 781, A.D., to commemorate the advent of Christianity 

 into China in the 6th century, the followers of Nestorius founding a church 

 in Shensi about this period. Up till about two years before our visit, the 

 tablet stood unprotected in the west suburb of the city ; but on an attempt 

 being made by a Swedish collector to carry it off for some western museum, 

 the Chinese authorities realised that what was worth removing was worth 

 retaining, and it was placed amongst the other tablets in the Monument 

 Grove. This interesting relic of early Christianity in China stands upon a 

 large stone tortoise and is of considerable size. The combined height of 

 tablet and tortoise must be over ten feet, so that one does not envy the 

 collector the task he had set himself in endeavouring to transport it out of 

 the country. As a matter of fact, this enterprising gentleman had an exact 

 counterpart of the monument made, and this he almost succeeded in getting 

 out of the country; but after endless troubles with Customs officials and 

 others, he dumped it down and left it somewhere along the Yang-tzu. The 

 mention of museums recalls a story told by one of the missionaries at Hsi-an 

 Fu. He had bought a complete set of rubbings of all the massive stone 

 monuments in the Pei-ling — one thousand odd, and sent them to a famous 

 museum in Europe. The rubbings were returned with thanks, and an 

 intimation that the originals would be greatly appreciated! 



A set of galleries — in many ways the most interesting part of Monument 

 Grove — is next reached. The sixteen classics are here set forth in ordinary 

 caligraphy, written upon both sides of some one hundred and fifty tablets of 

 immense size. These alone would serve to mark the galleries for special 

 veneration and respect amongst all classes in China ; but there are, in addition, 

 many other tablets of interest and renown. What are supposed to be the 

 oldest of Mohammedan monuments find shelter within these sacred walls. 



A very interesting account of the Nestorian tablet is given in "China and Keliiiioii," by Professor E. H. Parker, M.A. 

 S 49 



