THE DRAGON THRONE.

Press, Volume XXIII, Issue 3037, 17 May 1875, Page 3

THE DRAGON THRONE.

The Daily News contains the following communication from a correspondent:—

Recently a new Emperor ascended the throne of China. The ceremonies attendant upon such an occasion have nothing in common with an event of the same kind in Europe. In the West the main feature of what takes place is the anointing with oil and placing a crown upon the head, hence we use the word " coronation." In China there is no crown. The outward official symbol of sovereignty in that land is a throne, known as the " Dragon Throne ;" and it is the installation into this which constitutes the ceremony. The five-clawed dragon is imperial, and may be almost considered as a personification of the Emperor or his power. Whatever belongs to the Emperor is called the Dragon's ; hence the title of the throne. When the vermilion pencil, which is also called "Dragon's Pencil," is used upon imperial decrees, they then appear in the Pekin Gazette as •' from the Throne." One of the most important departments of State in Peking is that known as the Li-poo or Board of Rites. It has a moat voluminous code of laws or rules of ancient date to guide its proceedings. Part of this Li-poo, or at least most intimately connected with it, is " the Astronomical Board. At home here we have some very curious amalgamations of State offices, but it would puzzle a lawyer to tell why astronomy should be a part of the Lord Chamberlain's functions. When it is explained that the palace at Peking is to this day in a condition something like what we read of Pharaoh's in Egypt, or Belshazzar's in Babylon, and has attached to it wizards, soothsayers, and magicians, the matter begins to clear up. The Board just mentioned is in reality an astrological body, whose duty it is to calculate lucky days and fortunate hours or minutes to guide the Emperor and his government in their actions. One of the rumors lately current in China as to why war was so long in being declared against Japan was that the Board could not make up its mind as to the Incky moment for doing so. It seems they have been troubled with less difficulty in finding a felicitous day for the making of the selected child into an Emperor. Th» ceremonies on the occasion are not very elaborate, and they are more of a state official kind than religious in their character. The proclamation of the event is previously prepared, and at the ceremony it is suspended from the beak of a golden phoenix and underneath a vase of the same metal is placed for its reception. There is a parcular table on which the imperial seal is laid in readiness to be applied to the proclamation. Musicians and incense bearers are in attendance. When all is prepared the chief of the Board of Rites conducts the Emperor from his private rooms to a golden

carriage ; in. this he rides with attendants, carrying banners,, insignia, &c Prominent among these is the imperial yellow dragon umbrella : there is also an escort of body guaTfis Elephants should form part of this procession, according to role, but on the last occasioa it was said that they had all died, and had to be dispensed with. On reaching the throne hall, the head of the astronomical body announces that the auspicious moment for ascending the throne of the Tai-Ching-Kwo, or the " Empire of Great Purity," has come. The Emperor then ascends and takes his seat, the proper position being to sit facing the south. With incense burning and music sounding, every one presfnt bows down to the ground, and performs the kow-tow. which is the knocking of the forehead nine times upon the ground as an act of obeisance. This is followed by taking the proclamation from the beak of the phoenix, and when it is sealed the ceremony is complete. An Emperor has been evolved into visible existence. He is not only the " Son of Heaven," but he is also " Viceregent of all under Heaven." The means ol producing ench a being seem very simple, yet the result is most wonderful. By this process a man—in the present case it ie a very small boy—is transformed into a demigod—at least he is such to the Chinese.

The proclamation is posted and sent to all parts of the empire, and is received and passed on by the officials with about the same marks of homage which are due to the Emperor's own presence. Wherever it is read all go on their knees and perform the kowtow. In official language this is making the event known to " all under heaven." Heaven, according to this, does not extend beyond the margin of the Chinese empire, for this is the limit to which the information will be sent that a new Whang-ti or Emperor has come to the throne of Peking. If the Celestial officials seem to our minds limited as to the extent to which such news should be forwarded they amply make up for it in other ways. On all important occasions, such 'as the present, heaven is informed of the event. This is done by a ceremony at the Great Temple of Heaven. Sacrifice and incense are offered, but the mode of transmitting the information to the upper world is not exactly known ; most probably it is by burning a copy of the proclamation, for according to Chinese ideas anything which is burnt ascends in the smoke to Tien, or heaven, and they have some peculiar religious rites which are founded upon this notion. At the Imperial Ancestral Temple another ceremony is gone through to inform the new Emperor's ancestors of what has happened. At the Temple of the Earth another ceremony is performed tolet the earth know of what has taken place—it is the veritable earth to which this message is sent; " all under heaven " means the people under heaven. It seems that these rites are not celebrated by priests, but by princes. The function is no doubt vicarious, as they act for and represent the Emperor. One telegram has put the new Emperor's age at three years and another at five. The explanation of this is easy. Every Chinaman adds one year to his real age, and the Emperor adds two. The three years may thus be the age counting from his birth and the five years the official imperial age. His father's name is Prince Chun, but his own name has not yet been declared. A new name is always assumed by an Emperor on coming to the throne. Tung-Chin, " the union of law and order," wab the one taken by the late Emperor, and by that he is known on public documents, coins, &c.

The present Manchu dynasty begun in 1644, but Tai-Tsnng had adopted the title of Emperor in 1635. It was not till the first given date that the last of the. Mings killed the whole of his harem and hanged himself when a nephew of Tai-Tsung's, a child of seven, was proclaimed Emperor with the title of Shuu-Chih, and the new dynasty was called the Tai-Ching or Great Pure dynasty. He who has just begun to sit on the dragon throne is the ninth Emperor of this dynasty counting from Shun-Chih.