02 NOTES ON THE SYMBOLISM OF THE 



Emperor is figuratively spoken of as the Sun, and that his 

 emblemn is the Dragon. 



Besides the great variety of actual dragons it must not 

 be forgotten that the dragon had nine sons who did not 

 prefectly ressemble him, who each possessed some great 

 talent; these, which all appear in the decoration of the 

 Forbidden City are according to the reply given by the 

 official Li Tung Yang & "M ffi to the Emperor Hsiao Tsung 

 W ^ m of the Ming W dynasty, as follows : 



jR M ^ ez H$i, a creature resembling a turtle, which is able to, 



or likes to, bear great weights. It carries stone slabs 



which bear inscriptions. 

 OBtfl] Chih Wen, a sort of dragon which likes to gaze and look 



out, so it is placed on the ridges of roofs. 

 $t 2£ P'u Lao, a creature which loves to growl and make noise, 



therefore it is put as a handle to great bells. 

 $&ffi Pi An, a creature which likes to use his energy and active 



strength. It is placed over prison doors, being very 



fierce. 

 §lfj| Tao T'ieft, a creature which is very gluttonous. It loves 



food and therefore is put on various vessels, as cover, 



handle, etc., as a warning against gluttony. 

 AftPJ[ Pa Hsia, a creature which loves water. It is put on the 



railing of bridges. 

 Bf&fc Yai Chai, a creature which likes to kill. It is therefore 



used on sword handles and where blades join handles. 

 $£13 Suan Li, a creature which is fond of smoke and fire, and 



is used on incense burners. 

 H2 Hi Chiao Tu, a creature which likes to close things, and is 



therefore used on "door handles. 



Apart from all these appendages of picturesque romance 

 one feels indeed that the ancient Chinese system of govern- 

 ment, in its ideals, ressembles far more closely democratie 

 government, than it does any of our monarchial forms, 

 especially as, in addition to the points already mentioned, 

 the Emperor was regarded as the head of a clan and the 

 Father of his people. This fact was noticed by Van Braam, 

 who in 1794 — 1795 conducted an Embassy from the Dutch 

 East Co. to the court of Ch'ien Lung; the dedication to his 

 Journal which contains "an authentic account of the Em- 

 bassy," is to His Excellency George Washington, President 

 of the United States and reads as follows : 



Sir, — Travels among the most ancient people which now 

 inhabits this globe, and which owes its long existence to the 

 system which makes its Chief the Father of the National Family, 

 cannot appear under better auspices than those of the Great Man 

 who was elected, by the universal suffrage of a new nation, to 

 preside at the conquest of liberty, and in the establishment of a 

 government in which everything bespeaks the love of the 

 First Magistrate for the people. 



