SHOPPING IN PEKING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19759, 9 April 1926, Page 12

SHOPPING IN PEKING.

To the right and left stretches a maze of narrow lanes with flowery names denoting the specialty of the shops therein —Jade street, Silver street. Embroidery street, and Lantern street, with its shop signs of huge red lanterns. Porcelains and silks can be had in the Great Ch’ien Men. Furs, too, are in great demand, as Peking is very cold in winter. Sable, minx, chinchilla, otter, ermine, Arctic fox, Mongolian dog, seals, astra chan, and larger skins like wolf and bear can be purchased very cheaply, but must be disinfected before using. Many a case of smallpox is traced to this emission. Embroidery street ! Who can imagine that behind those little doors in windowless w'alls are shops containing such gorgeous garments? Penetrating through many little courtyards, we Dund them. Long-coated, black-satin-capped Chinese | men unrolled Mandarin coats stiff with go.'J embroidery. On the quality of the embroidery and the history of the coat depends the price demanded. If the coat is faced with “Imperial vellow” much more is asked ; and “Peking stitch.” which is like tiny French knots, is viUiied. Old embroidered garment, come on the I market through deaths nr great poverty I in families But in some cases the cm- I broidery has been cut off from worn-out i clothes, and glued nr stitched on to new material. Modern embroideries are produced in many districts all over the country, each district having it® own : special designs and colouring “Fakes’’ j are made bv cutting out and stitching on designs from European ilblwms In Jade street we found shop? with glass windows' Rare in the Far East. Hero behind strong iron griTes, were displayed many valuables: pearls, carved ivories, ambers, carved amethysts and exquisite jewel jade, in manv forms and colours.—Grace L. Morrow, in Chambers’s Journal.