NO. 4 RELIGION IN SZECHUAN PROVINCE: GRAHAM 4I 



or unlucky days. Very often they have on them mottoes in four large 

 characters which express the wishes of the parents for their sons. 

 Among these mottoes are the following : 



How UiN Lin Shen, " Good luck fall upon his body," or befall him. 

 Gin Luh Jia Kuan, " Enter into fortune, advance in official rank." 



One of these coins bears the following inscription: 



The order of Laotsi. Use this to kill demons, subjugate spooks, behead 

 phantoms, avoid evil influences, and forever guarantee safety. 



The newest kind of a charm that the writer has seen in Szechuan 

 Province is the Red Cross emblem. He noticed it first in 1925. Before 

 the Chinese revolution of 191 1, the Red Cross and its emblem were 

 practically unknown in this province. Since then the people have seen 

 hospitals and Red Cross Societies marvellously healing the sick, and 

 have assumed that there was mysterious power in the Red Cross 

 emblem. The emblems are used as a protection to boys and are sewed 

 into the garments. 



Old bronze mirrors are very efficacious in keeping away demons. 

 The glass mirror, which is comparatively new, is used for the same 

 purpose. It is hung up above the entrances to the homes, or is placed 

 inside the front doors so that a person going into the house will see 

 his own image. The demon who is trying to enter the house sees his 

 own image and becomes frightened at it, for he is a horrible-looking 

 creature, so that he turns and flies away. 



The bah kua, or eight figures, has come down from the most ancient 

 times, and is considered very efficacious. It can control any calamity, 

 including fire, flood, or pestilence. This is because the demons cause 

 these calamities, and the hah kua has power to control demons. 



The crow of a rooster frightens away demons, who scamper away 

 when the cocks begin to crow at daylight. In some places geese are 

 raised because their cry is supposed to frighten away demons. 



Pieces of amber are worn as charms. The facts that amber when 

 rubbed will pick up pieces of paper, that it sparkles, and that it some- 

 times has particles of grass or leaves or even insects in it, would 

 naturally tend to set it aside as having unusual power. 



Charms of jade are used, especially in the burial of the dead. In 

 the ancient tombs of Szechuan are found jade cicadas that were placed 

 on the tongues of the dead. In northeastern China they are also found 

 in tombs of the same period. 



Swords made of old Chinese coins are used as charms in the homes. 

 They have power to keep away evil spirits. Ordinary swords are 

 sometimes used for the same purpose. One old sword of this kind 



