THE SHUH COUNTRY | | 



x^ ^J^i/V city walls P lanted witb fch * Hibiscua l u 

 long m -a- «), thus making the whole stretch o! 40 li one 

 long flower garden. This gave to Ch'entu the poetica 

 name of long Ch'eng (« «) or "hibiscus civ " which if 

 carries to the present day. 



The present city wall is only 2:3 li and 3 fen in circum- 

 ference, but according to what the Chinese reckon reliable 

 information, the Chao Choh Sz (fa % #) temple now 

 situated outside the North gate, and the Wu Heo Sz 

 (ft & #) temple, now situated outside the South gate, were 

 both at one time included within the city walls, and have 

 remnants of the ancient walls situated near them, Marco 

 Polo's description of Ch'en tu city is also very different 

 from what it is at the present day. 



In the 27th year of the reign of the Emperor Kuang 

 Hsu (% ft) it is reported that an ancient bridge was 

 excavated within the precincts of the Sheo Pi (^ fS) 

 Yamen, and is called the Wu Yin K'iao {$$&&)* and 

 doubtless many more could be found if time and money were 

 expended in excavation. 



The Man Chu City. 



The Man Chu city is called the Shao Ch'eng (£ $), but 

 is not the Shao Ch'eng (& $c) which existed at the time of 

 Ts'in Chang Ni ($ M ft) (A.D. 107), that having been 

 destroyed during the insurrections of the Sui (Hi) Dynasty 

 period. The present city is situated in the west side of the 

 main city and is also known as the Inner City (ft $ft). This 

 inner city was built in the 57th year of the reign of the 

 Emperor K'ang Hsi (91 £S) and is four and half li in circum- 

 ference; its walls are thirteen and a half feet high. It is 

 provided with five gates, including the West gate of the 

 main city which is included within its walls. The city was 

 purposely built to accommodate the resident Manchu garrison ; 

 each banner governed a street and three alleys, which were 

 used for billeting the soldiers under that particular banner. 



The formation of the ■■city is said to have been laid out 

 in the form of a centipede (Wu Kong & &). The Tartar 

 General's Yamen was reckoned to be the head; the main 

 street which runs to their North gate was looked upon as 

 the back bone; and the side alleys used for the accommoda- 

 tion of the soldiers were looked upon as the legs of the 

 insect. The streets of this little city are wide, quiet and 



'Some Chinese doubt the existence of this bridge. 



