TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTES — HANGCHOW. 159 



Three or four of the few ancient buildings to be seen at Hangchow are distinctly 

 connected with the Ts'ien family. The slender pagoda, first seen by the visitor who 

 approaches the city from the north, is ascribed to Prince K'iao. So is the first erection of 

 the huge tower of "Six Harmonies" (Liuho T'a) on the banks of the river, and of another 

 pagoda tower on the top of Nankao Feng, a picturesque height on the western shore of the 

 lake. These two were restored a century or two later, after destruction by fire. The other 

 great tower, that of the Thunder Peak {Leifing T'a) on the margin of the lake, was built by 

 a lady of Hungshuh's court, the last prince of the Ts'ien house. 



Inscriptions remain, dating from that period, and engraved by order of one or other 

 of the Ts'ien princes. The most interesting of these is found at the entrance to the once 

 famous Buddhist convent of Brahma's Heaven (Fani'ien Sze), about a mile beyond the chief 

 south gate of the city (Fenghwang Min). It covers the faces of two polygonal shafts, part of 

 lofty pillars of the quaint design called chw^ang, or umbrellas of state. It consists chiefly of 

 Buddhist Siitras and other formulae. 



The Hsihu, besides the attraction of its beauty, is for the Chinese student hardly less 

 interesting as the favourite resort and theme of panegyric of poets, such as Peh Kii-yih of 

 the ninth and Su Tungp'o of the eleventh centuries ; and, in more recent times, of the 

 magnificent Emperors K'anghsi and Chienlung. The lodges occupied by the emperors 

 stood on the pretty island, Kushan, joined to the north shore by causeway and bridges, on 

 which still stands a building called the "Travelling Palace without," in distinction from the 

 "Travelling Palace within," the city. The outer palace is now chiefly used as a Library. 



In the thirteenth century the lake was celebrated by Marco Polo, and in the next by 

 Friar Odoric. The latter relates an excursion made under the guidance of a friendly 

 citizen across the lake to a convent and grottoes, easily identified with the Lin-yin Convent 

 and its very interesting sculptured rocks called Feilai Feng. The convent with its grottoes, 

 its chapel of the five hundred Loham (Saints of Buddhism), the wooded hill at the back, 

 ascended by a paved walk and flight of steps to the T'aoukwang-sze, half-way up its side, 

 and thence to another temple on its summit, is well worth a visit for the picturesque beauty 

 of its setting as well as the interest of its religious and historical associations. 



The topographers make it the earliest seat of Buddhism in the province and ascribe 

 its foundation to an Indian monk in the first years of the fourth century. 



A beautiful walk of perhaps two miles leads on from it to the now more famous 

 Monastery of T'ienchuh (Buddhist name for India). This has been elaborately restored 

 since its destruction in 1862 by the T'aipings. A large village depends on it, consisting mainly 

 of shops where incense, tinsel-paper and other necessaries of Chinese idolatry are sold. 



On the lake shore, not far from the Imperial island, is the tomb of Yoh Fei. This 

 worthy, a patriotic general of the twelfth century, was put to death at the instigation of the 

 Minister Ts'in Kwei who was intriguing with the Tartar invader of the period. After the 

 minister's own death, a revulsion of feeling induced the weak Sung monarch to make such 

 amends as seemed possible by erecting stately tombs to the murdered general and a son 

 who fell with him, and placing in front of them figures in iron of Ts'in, his wife, and two 

 other accomplices of his treason, kneeling and bound with cords, enclosed in stone cages. 

 Visitors are encouraged to spit upon and hurl stones at the figures : with the result that 



