PEKING 



4551 



PEKING 



Looking down upon'The Forbidden City. 



.EKING, peking' (often pronounced pa 

 king'), meaning northern capital, is the capital 

 of China and one of the largest and most an- 

 cient cities of the world. It lies in a sandy 

 plain, about twelve miles west of the Pei-ho, 

 100 miles from the Gulf of Pechili and seventy 

 miles southeast of the Great Wall of China. 

 Upon first approaching this curious city one 

 sees nothing but a massive wall cut by six- 

 teen gates and the outlying suburbs. This 

 outer wall, surmounted by many lofty square 

 towers, varies from thirty to fifty feet in 

 height and is about twenty-five feet thick at 

 its base. It encircles an area of about twen- 

 ty-five square miles. The top is paved like 

 a roadway, constituting one of the city's most 

 pleasing promenades; from the summit the city 

 seems to be a place of gardens. 



Few congested districts are visible from this 

 height, and the patterned roofs of the temples, 

 palaces and mansions, with their blue, green 

 and yellov. 1 among the groves 



of trees, afford a pleasing sight. Howe\ 

 illusion is soon dispelled by tin view of decay 

 lapidation, poverty and filth, that is very 

 apparent in over half of the great city, as the 

 visitor comes into closer intimacy with the 

 real Peking. Since 1910, however, modern im- 

 provements have greatly beautified the city, 

 and in contrast with the Oriental atmosphere 

 there is now seen the spirit of modern progress. 

 Rail connection was established in 1897 between 

 Peking and Tien-tain, later with Mukden, and 

 thence with Europe; telegraphic communica- 

 tion is maintained with the important centers 

 t the world; and many other improvements 



have been inaugurated since foreign military 

 powers set foot on Chinese soil. 



Peking is divided into two parts, the Inner 

 and the Outer City, which are in effect TWO 

 separate cities. The former is known as the 

 Manchu, or Tartar City, and occup:- 

 northern site; the latter is the Chinese City. 

 They are separated by a common wall - 

 ing east and west. The wall encircling the 

 Tartar City averages fifty feet in height ; that 

 of the Chin- t Kach of the 



city's gates is imposing in appearance, with a 

 watch tower about 100 feet high and many 

 perforations for cannon. 



The Tartar, or Inner, City. This former ex- 

 tremely important section is divided into three 

 portions, one within the other. The GU- 

 IS the largest, and constitutes what is 

 known as the (leneral City; the second Bl 

 is the Imperial, or August City; and the in- 

 nermost enclosure is known as the Purple, or 

 Forbidden City, for prior to 1911 it was the 

 residence of the emperor and his inn: 

 family and of the highest, officials in the realm. 



The Forbidden City, surrounded by a 

 wide moat, and enclosed by a wall of bright 

 yellow tiles, was guarded by many soldirrv 

 forbidden entrance, and only 

 Chinese who had official connection with the 

 court mii:ht pass the gates. In these sacred 

 precincts is the Hall of Highest Peace, 

 upon the throne in the spacious hall the em- 

 peror held his levees on New Year's Day, his 

 birth, lay and on other state occasions, 

 beyond is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the 

 emperor's former dwelling and the most mag- 



