1937-08-21 — Page 15

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1937

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH WEEK-END SECTION

T. PAUL GREGORY DESCRIBES-The

STRANGE RITES OF CHINESE MOURNING

DEATH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

PHASE

OF LIFE

workt,

the sorrowing relatives prepare the corpse for burial, In the mourning custorna commonly observ- ed throughout southern China, before the corpse is put into the coffin, the eldest son or next of kin of the deceased proceeds to the nearest stream or pond bearing in its Jund

dish covered with a palm-leaf fan and containing a couple of cop pees. Upon arriving at the place he throws the fan and the coins into the water, and then kneeling at the edge of the stream or pond, dips with the basin a small quantity of up water, making all the while a great wailing and display of grief. The

AMONGST all nations and bathely covers with it handker-

chief and returns homeward, crying

peoples, the advent of mediately the grim Reaper is met with kindred manifesta- tions of grief and expres- sions of poignant sorrow and regret. It is an occa- sion when the entire energies of the friends and relatives of the deceased are devoted to the proper fulfilment of the diversa enstoms and attendant re- ligious rites which mankind has deemed appropriate and fitting; for, after all, is not this metamorphosis which men for want of a better name term death, nothing inore than a rebirth into another, and perchance hap- pier and fuller existence?

The Chinese as other nations have their own pillar burial customs, which because of their antiquity are of unusual interest, especially

carried

to-day practically the same manner as they have been for centurigs past.

Thes

out

**

in

Indeed, the funeral customs of the Inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom are amongst the most elaborate ex- tant, abd cogently illustrate the

Innate faith and the supreme con- fidence that this remarkable people have in a future life beyond this world. Their practical, utilitarian pragmatism and their deep sense of Bilal piety have taught thein that the spirits of the departed are not in some distant purgatory or hypothe then heaven, but in some vivid world of

reality not far removed from earth, where they still hold in mort. main their Helds and houses, and with tender and loving eare took after the Welfare of their posterity. There- fore, so it is emly believed by the masses

of the Chinese people, he who is faithful and regular in paying his respects to the mates of his de parted ancestors will surely reap an ample reward.

دن

as he goes. Upon arriving home, the next of kin uses the water in the ceremony of washing the corpse.

Like the dryout Hebrew who

prepares his kittel or while shroud for many seasons in advance, the Chinese gives orders that his shau-

and of

кла

and

is

ceremonies this numeral plays an important part. The first forty-nine day's after death is popularly IC- presented as the time when the spirit of the departed is striving to arrive at its fint destination. This period The

known

tri

it is

An elaborate- ly decorated Chinese coffin

seen in a local funeral proces-

sion last week.

(Photo by Staff Photograph.)

SALE LEANING

come identified with popular tradi- tion and have attained an undying fame which has relegated them to the positions of prominent figures In The Chinese funeral processions. Orst of these worthies is forty-nine days is commonly Suen

Is Suen Ng-lung who suld to or longevity clothes" should be sevens", because it This

nown as the Ts'at-isal or "seven have

have been developed by

natural carefully sewn

divided into a .made

evolution out of stone, and who ready series of seven weeks of seven days began There is, however, some difference each. At the end of each sequence, hence, is popularly designated

life us monkey, and in the shrouds of the faithful Jew

replicas Child of Cathay, in-

paper. clothing.

of

Sten Hau-y or the "Monkey Gol". nsunuch as that of the former

elc., are burned, so that the spirit This deity is symbolical of the un- generally a single

may not go naked during the fork tamable restlessness of the human piece of plain "longevity clothes" of the Chinese

journey, and food is offered so th white cloth whilst the shan-

heart. The next character, who is it, too, will, not suffer the pangs of

frequently

seen in funerai hunger. consist of seven garments, four for

proces- sions

Sha Ng-tsing who upper part of the body, and At the first, third, and fifth heb-

represented as a black-faced indivi- three

dual bearing over his shoulder the lower. The upper domadal periods, the family of the Harments consist of the tai-shaam or deceased have the custom of cooking and his very name typifies the pas

books of the "God of Literature," underwear, the kamp-nean or doubl peculiar kind of rice known as surk, the min-naap or cotton-padded ahau-faan or

sive site of "longevity

mon's nature. tunic and the

rice". It

The po-kus or surplice, is interesting to note that the fuel

remaining member of this trio, Chue The

lower

Ng-nang gnments consist of the fer the

or Chue Paat-kuni, is preparation of this meal is tai-foo or underdrawers, the min-fou the shavings left in the manufacture

perhaps the best known of all. He or cotton-padded trousers and tally of coins. So important, however,

represents the animal instincts the shuk-chau-kić'au

human nature. His surname which or silken is the cooking of this special menu of rice that the mourning family deem it incumbent to bring homet two baskets of these shovings, which bear the name of kwoon-tr'ol-ch'aoi or "coffin kindling."

It is for this reason that the Sons of Han devole so much attention to the care of their dead, for in the Chinese conception there are only three traty important events In o man's life, viz. birth, marriage and death,

of which the last is the grealest and most important of all,

THE approach of mortal dis- fashioned Chinese homes, the signal

solution is in many of the old-

for the summoning of the saffron- robed Buddhist priests or else the sable-clad Tanist exorcisers or both who intone the prescribed prayers for the passing of the soul, in order that the way to the other world may be prepared; therefore this ceremony is quite appropriately termed hai-là or Popening the way."

Then after the soul has been es- corted on its journey to the other

for the

apron representing offein) k.

THE com Is generally chosen

a

with great care, and in eise of wealthy families, is of expensive Indeed, construction and of the finest wooKİN. During the period of mourning. In many of the more-old- two white lanterns with inscriptions fashioned families the coffin has been in blue ideographs are hung outside often selected during lifetime, and the house, and upon the completion kept ready for the final episode: of the 40 day period are taken down

The Chinese like that other re- markable people, the, Children of Israel, iny much stress upon the seven, and in the funeral

number

Absolutely Unique

in

their Qualities STATE EXPRESS 555

MADE IN

$ 1.20

CIGARETTES

ENGLAND

for 50

and burnt.

Unt the coffin is removed from the home, there is an interesting parallel to the Hebrew custom ht

of

significa a "pig" Indientes that his practice of exhuming the corpse of with alight damage the act of being chüratlerlaties, were those of

the the deceased seven years after burial. buried a number of years beneath porcine species, and in the repre- This is for the purpose of placing sentations of him, he is depicted with the bones in clay pots or urns which the soll. These it may be stated ure, the head of a swine.

are then deposited in a prepared site after being removed for the purpose There are, of course, other floats selected and previously approved by of chap-kam, often knocked to pleces typifying lesser divinities, and per-

afung-shui-sin-shoang or profes- and the component parts employed sional geomancer. haps one or more Western bands,

in various utilitarlon purposes. In- Finally, at the rear comes the cofilu The object of such an exhumation deed, in the inferior of borne by eight or as many as 16 or 32 1s for the avowed purpose of gaining vince, It is a common sight to wit- perspiring enoties dressed in white merit for the descendants of Jackets and trousers trimmed with deceased. It is with this end in view the mast unlikely usages-some being the ness abandoned coffins being put to bine, followed by the principal mour- that the Chinese disinhume the cof- employed as ners in hempen garments, who are in and after prising off the lid, care Irrigation ditches and others being slulce-boards in the ahielded from the maze of the public fully remove the bones. These are

men,

some

the pro-

by means of a white cloth termed the haas-wai ar "curtain of possible

screen then carefully scraped to remove any used as substantial foot-bourdis over

ndhering flesh and aliai plety" which

then some rivulet in the paddy-flelds. held over them after being washed are deposited with by a number of lackeys or serving scrupulous care in the t'aap or large is generally a well-chosen spot in The permanent tomb or shaan-fan clay urn.

The bones of the feet and limbs Those

quite place on the blit-side. who have had occasion to are

placed first, and then the other travel in the interior of the country bones are placed in proper order so have noticed the graves which dot that the final collocation of Death's the fundscape by the thousands. grim trophies, will represent a skele the casual observer they

appear ton with its knees drawn up as in a horse-shoe shaped, and upon closer person squatting. The jar with its

he will

that this is

is Luo,

approach,

notice

Το

of

contents

designated Is

by the indeed the fact. The tombs on the Chinese as a kom-tarp OP "gold whole urn" and is now ready for trans- cement, and are designed as resting-

are solidly constructed ference to the site approved by the places for the jars

gromancer.

Jors containing the bones

at the departed ancestors, In the centre of these tombs is an Inset HHE Chinese have also the strange of THE

61 sunte

which granite upon wh custom of interring Jade or graven the names of those whose ments-rings,

bracelets, etc. with mortal remains are gathered here. their dead, which are, of course, It

It is these hill-ske tombs which recovered when the period of seven hold such it place of

yours

veneration in is completed, and the coin the minds of every Chinese, and be disinterred. Jade which

been he Ich bas

he rich or poor, peasant or gentry, recovered from graves is known by it is the tombs of his ancestors that the Chinese as Kioo-yuk or "old sccupy his thoughts, and it is to jade" whilst by foreigners the gen- worship at their shrine that be re- eral designation is "Tomi Jade" pairs here during the annual Ta'ing- Indeed, Jade

buried with

the dead ming festival which occurs on April

is extremely precious and highly 5 or 6.

by Chinese virtuosi. JUS

esteemed

such pleces of semi-precious stone

the

awful

brough

contact with long Eldeousness of Death have changed colour, and have hues of red, brown, black and grey.

acquired marvellous So highly prized are these pieces,

for

market means.

are

One

that forgeries, are numerous, wieru- pulous

individuals attempting 10 simulate by artifelal me:

means

the wonderous tints that only a macabre association with the decaying corpse can impart. In fact, the bulk of the picees of tomb

Jade offered ale in the

open THE music,

strange. prepared by artificial There is the doleful walling of of the favourite

to bury Chinese herns, and the pulsating a number of specimens of ordinary melody of Western bands. To rein jade with an animal foreign ears,

body the music of such as that of a dog or cat, coupled the latter particularly in Canton with liberal

application of lime. It is perhaps incongruous, for they do is said that after a few years jade not usually play funeral marches nor ornaments thus prepared if disinter- threnodic dirges but blure out

the rad

red will appear identical with those sparkling, throbbing melodies of old which were buried with familiar tunes-Marching through corpse. Those unscrupulous persons human Georgia, 'Seeing Nellie Home, Ta- who cannot afford to wait for five ra-ra, boom de Aye and that old- years or more attempt to age selected time.

hit "Where did you get that pieces Haty

by chemical means, one of the favourite processes being

ordinary

white jade Another method is the to beat pieces of Jade over a charcoal re in order that they may acquire they the peculiar dull brown appearance that is so much esteemed by Chinese connoisseurs.

indeed, to the kindly Chinese mind, to boll such music is entirely fitting, for the ground-nut oll dead, being in a sphere near world enjoy the gay things of this life. almost as much. themselves were present.

*

as if

NOTHER phase of Chinese cuts- Atoms and at the same time most interesting and unusual is that which is known as chap-kam or "picking up the gold and is connected with the

Comedy Corner

OR years my Neighbour Wimbleby has been a mar- tyr to lumbago, neuritis, water- on-the-knee, indigestion, loss of (appetite and fullness after meals.

shing, basmuch as that no member And for years I have been a of the mourning family may bathe, or perform any act of personal clean-martyr to my neighbour Wim- liness. Moreover, no food may be bleby. cooked in the house. XO that the friends and neighbours see to R that the family is provided for,

EVERY European resident in the

Colony Is largely familiar with the pageant-like funeral processions of the Chinese us they wend their f colourful way through the streets.

on

Although the greater part of the funerals of the wealthler elasses of Chinese in Hongkong are excced- ingly claborate, it is in the old city of Canton where processions of this kind are to be seen in all their glory.

The average funeral there is symphony in blue and white and gold and scarlet. Sometimes, at the head of the procession, beggars hired for the occasion push huge papier- mache ions, mounted small wooden wheels, and gaudy in ferul reds and celandine blues. Thence follows a variegated medley of

or floats carried by

lusty. These Honts are strange, grotesque and bizarre, re- presenting. In mimic some historien ilgure of the past who for the grent- of his nghievements has been nesa admitted to the popular pantheon of delfled worthies. Amongst these are the papier-mache figures of Yuen Chong, the so called "Ged of Litera- ture." He is generally represented an standing with one foot on the head of a monster and holding u

ren in lils outstretched hand. His form is slender and he is dressed in flowing robes, Again, D funeral

proces- slon is deemed complete without the presence the images of that trio of worthies mentioned in the oft- quoted Chinese book, the Sai-pan-kel or "Travels to the West" which re- lates the story of

certain Master who went to India in quest of the

Sacred Books. Buddhist Three of these characters have be-

He tells me all about everything, How he tell yesterday, how he feels to-day and how he experts to feet

to-morrow.

How the pain came on just here, and then went right down there, and across there; and how he could have screamed.

at it,"

He stiffy, with groans and erealtings, and managed to puli an- other radish, making seven in all.

"But that's not the worst he said. "Before she went she told me to be sure and do something, and I can't think what it was. And

don't do it-- "It was something I was to br Fure

and do, and she told me eleven Umes. But I've got so many things

if

to think of,

stomach every three hours, and the ***There's the medicine for iny

pills for my indigestion after meals, and there's the stuff for my neuritis, and the other stuff for my kidneys, and the tablets for my lumbago; and chat with one thing and another-

"But I do wish I could remember what it was," he sighed. "She'll Yesterday afternoon I called on make such a fuss, and that sort of him to see if I could borrow my thing's frightfully bad for my blood Dutch hee for a few minutes. I¦ pressure. didn't really want the thing. but like to have a look at it every now und again, just to see how it's going:

Wimbleby was down at the far end of his garden, sitting on an up- turned bucket with his head in his hands.

The ductor, he said, had advised him to take more exercise in the open air; so he had deelded to pull a few radishes,

cist

Dis head till I

·

NE may wonder what becomes of

the old coins which being con- stricted of heavy planks of selected hard-wood are enabled to withstand

By

F. W. THOMAS

Guides, and she's grown quite a lel ince then. Both upwards and out- wards,

Always eager to help. I tried some wire-worms, more W's, such as witchcraft, woodwork, wool-gather- ing and worrying. But Wimbleby begged me to shut up.

He said I made his head go round and round, but that wasn't true, because he was holding it still. He bad for his inside and gave him a said all those odd words were very pain in his vocabulary.

And it wasn't wrestling or wayz- gooses of willy-nilly or wireless.

Further, If I couldn't help I was not to hinder, and would I please go tight away, because I was annoying

ls water-on-the-brain.

But I hate to see a fellow crenture sulter. So 1 fetched another bucket nd sat down beside Wimbleby. I would stand by him, said, right to the end. Or at least until I heard Amella come in, when I should have to go.

"It was something to do with it began with an R." something in the house, and I fancy

"And that's not the worst of it," bleby shook his head.

"Radishes," I suggested, but Wit Righed Wimbleby. "I've

forgotten "Then what to take my tablets after lunch, and of bacona Or rat poison, refrigera- two doses of pink stuff in arrears, about rashers. Perhaps she's short I'm three pills behind schedule, and tors, reptiles, radiant heat, rubber and bath-nats,

my laryngitis dnesn't feel 50 ripe raspberries and

Jao[ as it did, rhinaceri."

if only could remember. Wimbleby shook

I distinctly heard her say. could have heard the contents rattle, don't forget to so-mu-so, but what it was. Don't forget to what? Don t "No," he said, "I'm pretty sure it forget to, don't forget to, don't for wasn't rhinocert. But I feet certain get to." 1 bestan with an R. Or was it n W? Dear, dear, deart And all this worrying is no bad for my indiger ton, water-on-the-knee, nourills and blond-pressure."

Well.

"But it's frightfully difficult," he Suid. "n

supposed to take exeƒ- for my neuritis, and to stay quietly indours for

there been any. my indigestion. And

as I've both

not

"I wonder," he mused, "If one could grow radishes in the drawing-room." But that wasn't Wimbleby's real

trouble. Wimbleby's real trouble Amelia, otherwise Mrs.

was

Wimblrby.

T

let's try W." I unit, "Bld she want you to do the washing? Or clean the windows? Or wind the

Amella had gone to town for the clock, whitewash the scullery, whip day. There was a sole of bats pl

the cream, warm the cold mutton, Duck and Diddlems.

Fourteen-weed the garden, water the rudishes, shilling hats going for thirteen and or wet your whistle?" eleven three-forthings. And ns the fare

was only half-a-crown and Amelia would want but a very cheap lunch, she had gone up to buy one of these hats and thus save a whole lot of money.

"And I know she'll go to the pic- tures and loed her return ticket, enld Wimbleby. "She always does,"

'Now

up from his

Wimbleby Jumped bucket, and at dest I thought he was Rant to kick that

souri anel alt.

receptacle for

He mute his brow. A wisp of a smile lit up his furrowed face. The corrugations went from hic fore- heat me if they had been rubbed out. "I've got it" he said. “I remeni- her now.

It doesn't begin with W, after all was right first tine, No, it was none of theme. That it It's an It. She told me to be sure was something. And if he didp't and remember to ring up the tele remember what it was there'd be phone people and tell them that uur trouble for two,

Instrument was out of order." Because Amelin, I understand, And ho dashed Indoors to do it. was once weller-weight champion of So far as I know he's stiil doing it the alyglotham Troop of diri poor, chap.

<

TEST ANSWERS

Week-End Problems

PROBLEM I

THE BILLIARDS MATCH White's expectation of gain is £7 10s. He, therefore, won £15. Hence White win the second und fourth games, which brought him £20, mud Red won the first and third, gaining £5. -

*

PROBLEM II

U N T1 L

NAPOTHA

+

W IN S

(

N

SE T

Light 4: Anagram of Notes,

Who Is This?

(1)

J. B. Priestley.

(2) (3)

Lady Astor, M.P.

Jacob Epstein.

Alibi Billic SOLUTION

Billie's mistake was to lenye. behind her, in her flat, the remains of two freshly boiled eggs, on the sheils of which her finger-prints were clearly discernible.

44+$4-tat4ll-lef+#f1-4-fl4#4

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH SUCH A HAUGHTY DOY,HURSE?"

"Don't scold him, Mrs. Hardy, He Jocan't look well. Are you sure he is not constipated? Whenever a child is cross and peevish, look at the tongue. If it is coated, or if the breath is disagreeable, I know at once what is wrong. I always give 'California Syrup of Figs. That moves the bowels in a few hours and cleanses

the system.

"Children don't understand the importance of regularity. They get absorbed in play and won't trouble. And it is only when they get thorough- ly cross and miserable that you real- ite that they are constipated. I and it saves a work of sickness and worry to give them a regular weekly dose. I would do that if I were you. With natural laxative like 'Cali- fornia Syrup of Figs' you can't go wrong.

"Doctors recommend it and give it to their own children, and we nurses swear by it. Get a 'bottle of 'Call- forala Syrup of Figs from the drug sinto and give hini a dose at heif thne. He'll be as happy as a fark in The morning.

"Never experiment with cheap and destie preparations when buying children's laxatives. The anfest plan is to do as I do, follow the example of the doctors nl give 'California Syrup of Figa,***

"California Syrup of liqs

NATURES DIS

FAXATIVE

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