84

the head quarters of the British army, and the major-general, with his staff and four battalions, found there spacious and airy lodgings, and the buildings "would have afforded accommodation to twice that number, had such been needed.

The site of the temple is on the north side of the street that runs from the small eastern gate parallel with the fung páng. Going due westward from said eastern gate, half way through the city, you ar- rive at a lofty vestibule, and over it is this inscription:

Páu chứng Hải gi

保障海隅

"Protectors and defenders of the sea-coast."

""

In front of this, in an open area, on the opposite side of the street, are two "drum towers.' Entering through this outer gate, you pass under a spacious loft, a theatre, enter an open court, sixty or more feet broad and a hundred, more or less, long: going on through this court, you enter the temple of the chief local divinity, styled Hien Yüpeh. Entering the rear of the same building you find his lady; and on state occasions you will see them decorated, bearing all the insignia of their high station. In and about this temple are many small halls and courts, in which are idols, inscriptions, &c.

The extent of grounds covered by the temple is said to be twelve mau and six tenths, such it was when first built; but there have since been made to it two additions consisting of two gardens—one called the Eastern and the other the Western-making both together more than seventy Chinese acres. The Eastern garden was built in the 40th year of Kánghí. Its pavilions, terraces, pools, alleys, bridges, &c., are elegant, and some of them have been extolled in verse. The western garden was once the possession of an im- perial minister, the above mentioned Pwán Ngan, : after his decease, the people of the city purchased his estate, repaired and rebuilt parts that had become dilapidated, and added the whole to the temple of the city divinity. This was in the 25th year of Kien- lúng. From the original temple, the Ching hwáng miáu, you pass directly north into these gardens, which on the north side front upon a street running along on the northern bend of the Fáng páng on the north side of and parallel to it. The western garden, like the other, has many pavilions, terraces, with miniature mountains-rude imitations of nature,-where you see rocks piled upon rocks. There too is an almond tree, said to have been planted by Pwán Ngan's own hand. In this great temple and its gardens, and contiguous to them,

Share This Page