THE EMPEROR OF CHINA'S WED DING.

Waikato Times, Volume 2641, Issue 2641, 15 June 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE EMPEROR OF CHINA'S WED DING.

Tin: London and OMnn Telegraph gives the following extracts from an interesting account of the ceremony enjoined by precedents for the mnrriiijfe of tho Emperor of China, which look place on the 2(sth of Februarv :—

" A few days before the actual wedding the servants of tho OfhVe of Equipments will carry to the Imperial palno.es with all ceremony the hundreds of articles for the use of the. Emperor and his brido that have been prepared previously by the Board of the Imperial Household, and kept -in the Empress's palaco. These articles comprise jewellery, head-dressas, clothes, aud accessories, embroideries, needlework, fino china ware , , gold and silvor work, furniture, curved aud inlaid upholstery, personal ornaments, stationery, and so forth. On February, •24th the High Officers, by the EmpororV command, should go to worship at tliG Temples of Heaven, Earth, and the, Gods, arid announce the approaching nuptials. On February - 2."> th the necessary arrangements should be made in the palace. The officers of the Office of Equipments should reverentially bring out tho Empress's sedan chair, yellow chairs, and her chariot, to which an elephant is harnessed—this last being merely formal. The accompanying paraphernalia arc: — "Two pairs of yellow silk umbrellas embroidered with dragons. One pair of crooked handled umbrellas embroidered with phcenixes. A pair of large fans. Ten coloured umbrellas. Four umbrellas worked with gold thread. A pair of plain red umbrellas. Eight banners decorated with dragons aud phoenixes. The embroidered flags. Eight fans embroidered with dragons. Eight yellow fans shaped like a pheasant's tail. On February 20, all being ready, four princesses will proceed to the Empress's residence at 12 a.m. (sic) to assist in robing the Empress. The robes that she will have to wear are :—A'red silk head-dress decorated with pearls, chrysophrascs, coral, rubies, cornelians, amethysts, and

jasper and blue feathers. An embroiderer] court robo decorated with jewels on the overlaps. Two strings of coral beads. A necklace, decorated with coral. A pair of jewelled earrings. A folded handkerchief. The Empress will rest after being robed, and then a eunuch will come to the hall and invite her to come out and receive the marriage contract and gold seal. iSliu will be attended by two princesses, while a eunuch holds the contract in both bands and reads it to her. Thin done, tlio Empress will retire to her ball and again rest. A eunuch then takes the gold sceptre and seal and bands them to the Chief Commissioner, who replaces them in their pavilions, all the proper officers and attendants being , in their pianos. Another eunuch will fix: tho auspicious time, and then eiaht eunuchs will carry the- Empress's oh air into the hall, the cbair containing <i sceptre inlaid with jado. This sceptre will be taken oud by two princesses, and banded to a eunuch, who will <rive it to the officer of the Inipeiial Household, who replaces it in ita pavilion. The princesses will then help the Empress to take her seat in her chair, after giving her an apple, the (ibaiv h.iviriff been fuiaijrittod with a piece of Tihtt.isn inccn-e, and hiivinjr been placed in the position of ' Pl'-asins; God.' The whole procession will then escort the ICmpress to the Imperial palace, by tho main front entrance, ths Ta Chin;,' prate. Princesses ar.d noble ladies will enter by tho back gate, the Sher \Vu trate, and will await tho arrival of the procession at the palace-. On its arrival at the Chieneliing the attendants mu<t strip, and tin; pavilions having been replaced here, tho Ministers of tho IJ-.Kird of Rites will take out the frold soal and murrintro contract from these pivilions and place them on tho tables arranjro.l at the Chiac-tni palace, where eunucliH will bo in waitintr i.o rereivo them. Durinjr this timo the rillieials of the Board of Music will perform, and then eiifht e.i nuehs will carry the Kmiiri'ss' oliiiir into the Chien-ehinjr pabsoe, where shy will bo rcuuostod to alight, and will .be transferred to nnni,hr>r chair, with peacock's feathers, in which she will lie curried to the Chungtsui palace. Here n. briiziet , of live coals will have been made rp.-idy, over | ■.vbich her chair will bn carriri, l . The appointed princess will then ask her to uliirht, and present her wish an apple. The S(!i»[jl.vu inlaid with j.'irli; will 1)0 i.ak»n out. of !ier chair, and sho will be presented | wii.li a 'prcciiMis bottle,' containing poarN | and fjold coin.--. A b<iw and arrow and a saddle having been previously placed mi the threshold of the bridal eha'nber. and t.iie Empeivr ii'vvtuir arrived in full ijostniiio to meet the bride, tnki'S tho bow and arrow and shoots at the saddle on the threshold, aud then removes tho bride's veil. Two princesses tlii'-u conduct tho lOmpres-* to tho bridal chamber, whore the Emperor sits on the left hand of the bed ami the Empress on tho right, face, to face. The princesses then request the Imperial couple to drink by joining their wine cups. When night comes, some of the ladies of the Court odVr them the pudding called the ' Pudding of Sons and Grandsons, and the troth called the ' Broth of Long Life.' This having been done, the priucessca will arrange the bed, sceptres inlaid with jade being put at the four corners of the bedstead. At 3 a.m. on the 27th of February the princesses go to tho bridal chamber to help the Empress to dress. Tho Emperor also puts on hU full dress, and the proper instructions are given to the Imperial couple as kneeling, kotowing, and rising. The Emperor tht-n conducts the Empress to worship the Gods of Heaven, Earth, and tho Household, which they do by kneeling and kotowing nine times. This done, they repair to thfl Itwii Huang temple, where they burn Tibetan incense and kotow nine time 3 ; thence to the Ciiicn-diinjj pnlaec, where they kotow nine times before the images of their grandfather, fatuer, and brother. Thonoo they come to the Chu-hsii palace, where they present sceptres to tho Kmpress Dowagrr and kotow nine times. The Empress .Dowaccr gives them her own . sceptre, and they return to the palace, where the Empress kueels to present her sceptre inlaid with jade to the Krnperor, and kotows nine times. The Emperor.confers his sceptre inlaid with jade on the Empress, who then takes hoc seat, and the two secondary Empresses kneel down and kotow ninu times to the Empress. On March 3 a proclamation will make known the Imperial marrago throughout tho whole Emr-ire,"