Largest of the modern structures built in Nanking to house the vari~ Jous departments of the Central Government, the new Ministry of Communications building has just been completed after being four and a half years in construction, Of the many fine buildings in the ety, this is the largest and most magnificent. Occuping fifty mow land, with roughly 300 rooms, it estimated that the cost of construction was over $2,000,000. It was started in 1991 under the former Minister of Communications, Mr. wang Peiechung, who placed the work in the hands of a Russian architect and the Shanghai contract ors, Messrs. Hsing-Feng & Ca, Work proceeded in spurts, the floods of 1991 and the Mukden' Affair, of September 18 of the same year, interrupting progress for some time. Under the present Minister, Dr. Chuo Chia-hua, however, it has been. brought to completion.
The structure is divided into three sections, the main building which [houses the Ministry, the left wing accommodating the Central Post Mice, and the right wing for the Engineering Department, There are four storeys. On the ground foot the General Department. The first floor houses the offices of the Minister and Vice-Minister, the auditorium and the dining ' room. The Postal and Navigation Depariments are on the second floor while the third floor is for the library and Chief Accountant's offices. hot the food but the prayer fag and the *windchorse." "hose prayer they are called in Tibetan, are made of both paper and cloth. The paper ones are scattered to the five winds and the cloth ones are tied by strings, from one pole to another, or from tone tree to another, and allowed to futter in the bree According to Drendong the idea behind the prayer flag and the "wind-horse" almost baffles description or incitation and embraces seme of the deepest mysteries in jane philosophy. "After we had read again the story of the Philippian jailer this learned Tibetan proceeded to enlighten me on some of the mysteries of the "wind-horse'
The paper prayer fags have a crude drawing of a horse in the centre, and around it are the mystic charms supposed to do the work of warding off evil and bringing good luck. Above the "wind-horse" is the mystic charm "om-mant-pad-me-hum" supposed to be a prayer to Jen-reh-200, the patron saint of Tibet, and the vicegerent of Amitabba. Jen-reh-zee is the most popular emanation in the Land of the Lamas, being reincarnated in every Dalai Lama, and being with "Jam-beh-yang and Cha-ne dor-jo the three protecting lords of Tibet. Jen-reh-zee is regarded by the Tibetans as having been doubly evolu ved on earth: first appearing from a ray of white light which issued forth from the eye of "o-ba-moh" and, secondly, being born as a youth of sixteen. from out of a lotus bud, under the "eye of his unfading gaze." To him the Tibetans address their prayers and offer their chants and full Longfeliow's words:
Tell me not in mournful numbers, Life fs but an empty dream.
Drendong's enemies and helpers occupy every point of the compass and it is his business to "see that they are either coerced or appeased oF cajoled. Much juniper is burned as the Zhee-ta dislike evil und unpleasant smells. No use bri: ting things, to eat if they ore accommaaied by a bad smell so the juniper creates pleasant fragrance and this the local deity appreciates, The order of the colours and their significance is as follows: The white colour represents the east where sits Dorje Semba, the eternal and unchanging being who is Adi-Buddha. He is supposed to. be resident of the Eastern Heaven Where he sits on a white lots. The south is represented by yellow and here sits Rinchen Jungneh, the Precious Source. The west is red_and here dwells Nangwa Tayeh, the Buddha of Endiess Brightness, who is also known as the Body of the Doc: trine, and Immeasurable Light, and Immeasurable Life, being reincarnaled in the present Panchen Lam: The north is green and here rul represented sitting with a fairy as female companion. The centre is blue and here sits Nambar Nangdze, also Known as The Buddha of Perfect Wisdom, Yeshe Songjas.
But this is not all, the five colours involve him fu regarding the five highest moral. virtues in Lamaism, which necessitate the erection of king over his body, his intellect, his speech, his conduct, and mind. And when this is done the five coloured charms reminds him of the five The Ministry of Communications has already started to remove from their old quarters to the new build~ ing, whic is situated in Chung Shan Road, opposite the Ministry of Railways.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.