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National Geographic : 1936 Dec
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE large shops regale the public with displays of lanterns made of glass, silk, horn, and fine paper. The prosperous silk shops ex hibit huge gauze lanterns in the form of vases, peaches, "good-luck" bats, and series of rectangular panels, which may cover a wall. Their surfaces are painted with scenery, animals, beautiful ladies, or with characters from familiar novels and dramas. Streets abound with examples of the art of the old-time lanternmaker, but the in genuity of the craftsmen does not end here. I saw one lantern in the form of a modern locomotive. It had a light in its cylinder like belly and was inscribed with the Eng lish "A15," preceded by the Chinese char acters meaning "Special Express." ITINERANT MERCHANTS AND WAYSIDE POETS The fifteenth for most people marks the end of the active celebration of the New Year in Peiping, but the climax of temple celebrations falls on the eighteenth, when the Pai Yiin Kuan (White Cloud), the rich est temple of Taoist faith in the region (page 776), holds its intriguing festival, "Meeting the Genii." Selling by an army of venders and itiner ant merchants appears to be as important as the burning of incense at the altars of temples where most fairs are held. Hosts of these small merchants who move from fair to fair depend on the New Year income. Early in the season, there may be found anywhere on a busy street or near a temple the table of a scholar who has fallen on evil days and seeks to earn a few coppers writ ing "spring couplets." These are composed with a brush in black ink on strips of red paper. A set is translated as follows: "Precious yellow gold and green jade, who owns them? "White sun, blue heaven, our Nation's flag." These are pasted on either side of the door. The second statement is a recent patriotic innovation, referring to the na tional flag. Above the door is placed the phrase, "Unity for all nations," yet another modern note. Shops prefer such pithy four character phrases as "Opening business; great prosperity." Even a servant who may earn only a bare living buys New Year pictures to put on his walls and windows. Peddlers cry these wares in the streets. In the old days, gaudy, crude, but not unattractive pictures, done by wood block on large thin sheets of paper, were popular. They represented actors, fat infants ar dently desired by all, or an entire family performing seasonal ceremonies, while the God of Wealth has his heavenly assistants roll into the house wheelbarrow loads of silver and gold ingots. In addition, the God of Longevity and the celestial pantheon were shown, shower ing down upon the lucky human recipients all their heart's desires. Now these are considered by many as "too old-fashioned." In their stead are for eign-style lithograph horrors whose colors rival the comic sheets that might easily have been their inspiration. Some of the fat Chinese babies have been retailored into wobbly male children in black tuxedos, cuddling dumplinglike infant brides attired in frilly pink European dresses and flutter ing veils. Flat paintings on scrolls, sometimes framed, are much desired for this season. They are sold in shops, on the street, and in mat sheds erected for the short holiday. "DOOR GODS CHANGE SHIFTS" Well known to the outside world are the door gods, who guard the household from intrusion by evil spirits. New Year is the time to renew the paper pictures of gods that are pasted on doors and walls. Recently it has been urged that the per sonages of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who later became deified as guardians of the door, be replaced by more worthy fig ures, national heroes such as Yo Fei, who valiantly fought the Chin Tatars, and Wen Tien-hsiang, who in the face of hardship remained true to the last Sung emperor during the flight to Kwangtung. One newspaper reporting this change headed its article: "Door Gods Change Shifts." Flowers and plants, which have been forced in hothouses to bloom at the Lunar New Year, are offered in profusion at market fairs. Favorites are tree peonies, the narcissus, magnolia (or "jade-orchids"), "welcoming spring," and Buddha Hands, a yellow citrus fruit shaped somewhat like a hand. Curio dealers spread their tempting wares on tables at bazaars and in some temples. The collector of jade, ivory, and carved semiprecious stones will find here paradise 752
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