Annual Pilgrimage to Temple of the Goddess of Mercy From a Correspondeat.
Yangchow, July 97.
The Goddess of Mercy's temple, several miles northwest of the city, has been the scene of unusual activity during these days. Every year from the Ist to 22nd of the 8th Chinese month, people come from the surrounding district, within a radius of 200 miles to pay) homage to the - goddess.
Ceremonies on the part of the) people, consist chiefly in burning, incense and kowtowing before the) two large images at the entrance, and throwing incense and paper money into " deep cauldron, keeping a safe distance away because of the white heat and sparks blown up by the wind. Then, entering the temple itself, past the four large idols, twe to either side, the worshippers elbow their way through the crowd to the image of the goddces of Mercy, where they: pin their package of incense on a yock, light it and withdraw to kowtow and make place for others. Off to one side is the "room of a hundred sons," where al] who go, again, light incense. kneel at an altar, and pray to be blessed with children. While on their knees, a can with many bamboo sticks is shaken until one falls out, the! number entitling the holder to a, page of characters telling—his fortune.
Among the company this year, on one evening, were about 200 country people, who having come long distances to worship, were, lying huddled together in the courtyards, beneath the curved caves, to get some rest before making the return trip early the next morning. Scores of stalls yo cither side of the winding road from the temple' to the plain, dis-pinyed all manner of wooden whistles and noise making toys to be bought for a few each and taken home to the children. Be, gars, blind, or otherwise afflicted, along with many who showed no outward affliction save poverty, occupied strategic positions along Throughout the cool, moonlight' nights of the 18th and 19th (Chinese calendar), a continuous stream left the city for the temple, the majority walking, some in ricshas or on muleback, and not a few in chairs. Others took the canal route in sampans or larger boats' equipped with glaring gasoline Jamps. The north city gate, at! the road, soliciting alms. other times closed after dark to all tut a privileged number who have important business and their cards with them, was on this oveasion left open to all comers Tat Hien Price or Rice.
Recently several! hundred farmers from the' low lying country to: now at home.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.