pg 341 (March 1829)

MONGOLIA AND BEIJING.

The archimandrite Hyacinth, late chief of the Russian mission at Beijing, from whence he returned in 1821, with Mr. Timkowski, is about to publish, at St Petersburgh, an Account of Mongolia, in four volumes. The first volume will contain a narrative of his journey through Mongolia, and his return from Beijing to Kiakhta; the second, a geographical and statistical account of Mongolia; the third, a short history of the Mongols; and the fourth, the code of laws by which this nomade people is governed. This work will contain a map of Mongolia, engravings of costumes, &c. Father Hyacinth also intends to publish, by subscription, a plan of the city of Beijing, with an exact description of the most remarkable buildings, &c. of that capital. This plan was made in 1817 by a Chinese surveyor, by order of Father Hyacinth. It will be engraved on two large sheets, and carefully coloured. The description of the city, translated from the Chinese by Father Hyacinth, will be published at the some time in Russian and French.

It appears from a remark made on a prospectus of this map, at a recent meeting of the Geographical Society of Paris, that this plan of Beijing is the identical one already published in the work of Timkowski, and that there is scarcely any difference between that plan and the one previously published by Father Gaubil.

pp 707-708 (June 1829)

THE ARCHIMANDRITE HYACINTH'S PLAN OF BEIJING.

To the Editor of the Asiatic Journal.

Sir: In announcing in your excellent Journal my work on Mongolia and my Plan of Beijing (p. 341), I find you have given credit to an opinion of an anonymous member of the Geographical Society of Paris, who is pleased to maintain that, save a few slight changes, my plan is a copy of a similar plan of Father Gaubil. I have declared some time ago, in a French Journal published at St. Petersburgh, that the writer of the above article, not having seen my plan, could have founded his opinion only on mere conjecture; but as my refutation probably has not reached you, I request leave to assure you, for the information of those whose sense of justice will be hurt at an accusation void of all proof, that I was, till my return from Beijing, ignorant of Father Gaubil's plan, and had no idea of its existence till I met it in Mr. Timkofsky's Travels. Although this plan in some respects is similar to that published by me, it must be confessed, it differs very widely from it. There is certainly some resemblance in the tracing of the walls, and the disposition of the eight principal streets, with the situation of the most remarkable places, both within and without the city, for the details of which he refers to verbal information; on my plan, on the contrary, not only the principal streets, but every one of them, either wide or narrow, are represented without the least omission, and, as to their locality, with the most scrupulous exactness. I shall not enter at present into any more details, but I am convinced that every impartial judge, in comparing the two plans, will do me the justice to acknowledge that my plan is not a copy of Father Gaubil's plan. I have the honour to be, &c.

Father Hyacinth,
St. Petersburgh, April (16) 28, 1829. Author of the New Plan of Beijing.

Father Hyacinth has the honour to transmit to the Editor a translation of the Preface to his work, and which will be published very soon.

THE TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

Every body will doubtless be pleased to see the plan of the capital of China, so much celebrated in the relations and descriptions of travellers. It is with this idea, that during a residence of fourteen years at Beijing, I have bestowed all my attention on the most remarkable objects which this capital contains, and have undertaken to make the plan of it, accompanied by a description. I can assure the public, that this plan is not one of the number of those with which the warehouses of Beijing abound; but has been so recently drawn as the year 1817, and revised with all possible care. The person, who undertook to ascertain the situations of the different places, was occupied a whole year in giving to this plan all the accuracy and perfection which could be desired. For this purpose, it was necessary to make a survey even of the smallest streets and lanes of that immense city, in order to be able to represent correctly upon the plan the most minute particulars, and to form them into a whole.

The description of the city, which accompanies the plan, is not my own work. The testimony of an inhabitant (or native) of the country deserves indisputably much more credit than that of a foreigner. The long residence I have made at Beijing during which I have been able to examine every thing with my own eyes, has put it in my power to give every necessary correctness to my translation; and by the assistance of my own observations, I have been enabled to clear up many obscure passages in the original. This description is the translation of a Chinese work published in 1788. The author, who was writing for the information of his countrymen, followed of course an arrangement suitable to his design; therefore he did not think it requisite to explain certain things, which on account of their novelty are but little known to a foreigner, whilst be pleased himself with examining the antiquities, entering into the most minute details, comprehending in his account a multitude of objects which could be nowise interesting to us. For this reason, I have thought it proper to add, in the introduction, some indispensable explanations, in order to complete the curious information respecting this capital, excluding from the description those minute details, which are totally devoid of interest to a foreigner who has never been at Beijing.

In this city are reckoned about seven hundred convents or temples. The number of palaces inhabited by princes, the tribunals or courts of justice, and other edifices belonging to the crown, are likewise very considerable. Had I wished to include in the narrow limits of my plan, every thing described in the original, the diversity of objects would have only served to tire the reader; whilst at the same time, it would have taken off his attention from things truly worthy of observation, and which are more entitled to find a place in it. It is only in the description of the temples, where the Emperor himself sacrifices, that l have strictly followed the original. Perhaps the, particulars regarding the architecture may even appear tedious to some readers; but I wished to give a perfect knowledge of these sacred places, where it is not allowed for any one to enter, excepting the agents of the government; so that the reader might form an idea to himself of what they really are.

pp. 650-651 (Dec 1829)

PLAN OF BEIJING.

The plan of the city of Beijing, by Father Hyacinth, late archimandrite of the Greek Church, and head of the Russian college at the capital of China, has, we find, been published at St. Petersburgh. Father Hyacinth was pleased to transmit to us a copy of his preface, and a succinct description of the work, which will be found in p. 707 of our last volume. We do not find that any copy of the plan has yet reached England; but it has been submitted to the Asiatic Society of Paris, and the report of their committee, MM. Eyriès and Klaproth, on the work, by the favour of a friend, is now before us.

The reporters, or rather M. Klaproth, for the report bears evident indications of his most industrious pen, have very fully investigated the subject proposed; they prefix an account of the plans of Beijing known in Europe, prior to the present one of Father Hyacinth, as well as three manuscript plans, with critical observations upon each. The description of this celebrated and vast city we abridge from the details in the report.

Beijing is fifty-eight li, or about seven and a half French leagues, in circumference, exclusive of the suburbs. It is divided into two distinct cities, the Tartar city to the north, the Chinese to the south. The former became, in 1421, the residence of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, who surrounded it with walls, as it is seen at present, forming an irregular tetragon. Many cities have existed, in preceding times, on the site of Beijing. Formerly, it was the capital of the kingdom of Yan; but in 222 B.C. this kingdom was subdued by the Qin dynasty, and the city ceased to be a capital. It was taken from China by the Khitans, in 936; and two years after was made the southern capital of the emperor of that people. The Jīn's, the ancestors of the moderns Mǎnzú, took possession of the residence of the Khitan emperors, which they denominated "western residence." The fourth sovereign of the Jīn dynasty transferred his court thither in 1151, and called it "central residence." In 1215, it was taken by Genghiz Khan; and in 1264, Korblay Khan fixed his residence there; it bore then the name of Zhongdu, or "central residence." Three years after he transferred this city three li northeast of its former site, and then it became Dadu, or the "great residence;" it was also commonly called the northern city, in contradistinction to the ancient Zhongdu, then called "the southern city." In 1554 the southern portion of Beijing, then recently built, received the name of "outer city." Beijing was taken, in 1644, by the Mǎnzú's, and their emperors fixed their residence there.

The capital of China is built in a vast plain, in some places sandy and marshy. The extensive temples, themagnificent convents, and the picturesque cemeteries of the great, would offer fine subjects for views, but for the tasteless custom of surrounding and concealing the fine edifices with courts. The country in the vicinity, covered with corn, offers, in summer, very pretty landscapes: in winter, the heights are covered with snow. From the summits of the hills round it, Beijing appears surrounded with a dense forest, owing to the groves of trees planted in the cemeteries, and avenues leading to the convents and villages in the neighbourhood. On approaching Beijing from the north, the loftiness of the walls strikes the traveller's notice, as well as their strange and massive towers. As soon as he enters the city, his astonishment is extreme. Instead of regular streets and superb houses, he beholds long lines of stalls covered with goods; instead of palaces, a mixture of shops, taverns, and convents. The better sort of buildings, public and private, are in narrow streets and passages. Most of the streets are tolerably wide and straight, but the houses are often irregularly built; there are also wells in the midst of the streets, which are lined with stinking kennels, fed by rills from certain little troughs, placed at almost every corner of the small streets, filled with a fluid which diffuses a strong uric odour, almost intolerable, and strangely repugnant to Chinese delicacy in other respects. The fore-part of each shop or warehouse is of a peculiar shape, and ornamented in a diiferent manner, according to the species of goods which are sold there; and this diversity of architecture, adorned with cinnabar, azure, varnish, and gilding; the symmetrical and curious arrangement of the articles in the shops; the triumphal arches which decorate the public places; all these strange objects cause a visitor to forget the nuisances just particularized.

No navigable river flows to Beijing: a small canal, dignified with the title of Yùhé, or "Imperial river," traverses the city: its stream supplies the tanks and canals of the palace. The inhabitants obtain water from wells; but, generally speaking, the water thus procured, in the interior of the city, is hard, and it is necessary to send beyond the barriers for soft and drinkable water. The wells to the north of the city are reported to afford excellent water.

Beijing is strong by its situation and the height of its colossal walls. It receives its supplies of provisions only by the south-west, that is by the imperial canal, which, in the hot season is sometimes dry: in civil commotions, it is easy to close it, and this expedient contributed mainly to the overthrow of the Mongol dynasty.

The Tartar city is regarded as a military station, and divided according to the eight banners of the Mǎnzú troops cantoned in it. The Chinese city is really only the southern suburb of Beijing. Notwithstanding its extent, it contains few remarkable objects: the military, and officers belonging to military families, are not allowed to reside, or even pass a single night there. All the gaieties and recreations, which the public functionaries, as well as private citizens, delight in, are concentrated in the Chinese city: there are eatinghouses, theatres, public baths, and places of debauchery.

The buildings belonging to government, such as altars and temples, are covered with yellow tiles; the other temples and buildings, even the walls of the convents, are mostly painted red. The palaces of the princes are distinguished by green-tiled roofs. The following is the process of building in China: a foundation is laid of clay beaten and mixed with chalk, on this is built a brick basement, a foot or two from the surface of the ground. The outer angles, and sometimes even the basement, are formed of long blocks of granite. On this, are placed, at equal distances, stone pilasters, the façade corresponding with the colonnade behind.

The temples and imperial palaces have a four-sided roof; other roofs have only two sides. Flat roofs are used merely for pavilions in gardens, to take tea in, and for sheds before shops.

In wealthy houses, the bricks, arranged in chequer work, are dyed different colours and varnished. The walls are not coated with any plaster; within they are pasted with white paper, without they are left just as built; as the bricks are brown, and the cement blackish, their aspect is not disagreeable.

The theatres in China are not architectural ornaments: they are moveable stages, consisting of an open scene of three sides, with a room behind for the actors, separated from the scene by a curtain: a door on the right is, for the exit, another on the left for the entry: these have also curtains. The musicians take their place below the great curtain: they play without notes. At the court-theatre the scene is double and triple, that is of two or three stages; and the actors, divided as the subject requires, play at the same time in the same piece.

These are the chief points noticed in the report, which complains of some defects in this plan, such as the want of the proper names of many streets, canals, bridges, &c.; sundry omissions, apparent from a comparison with other plans, and on the other hand, some lakes and tanks not laid down in former plans. The committee object to Father Hyacinth that he has contented himself with making extracts from the Chinese author of the plan, without adding any new remarks of his own upon the contents of this curious city, which a fourteen years' residence; with a perfect freedom of visiting its curiosities, must have enabled him to do.

The report makes no allusion to the accusation brought against Father Hyacinth, by a member of the Geographical Society of Paris, and from which he vindicated himself in his letter to us, of copying the plan of Father Gaubil. It is to be regretted that MM. Eyriès and Klaproth did not do Father Hyacinth the justice of declaring, that there was no foundation for this degrading charge.