Peiping, Feb, 20.
How often have we been told by the devotees of progress and modernity thatthe old customs superstitions are being rapidly eradlcated. And there is the particularly hardy annual that the "custom of celebrating the Lunar New Year is ying out. Here the wish can only be: father to the thought, at any rate as far as North China Ig concerned. It certainly does not hold good for Peiping where the New Year has just been welcomed in with even more than the customary noise and merriment. Never have the shops selling fireworks done such a roaring as business as they did this time, The main purpose of those crackers apart, from the pleasure derived from their nolse—is to frighten away the evil spirits that have been haunt. Ing one during the past year and those that are probably hovering about intent on spoiling the coming year. It is, however, dimeult to say Whether this year's exceptional bombardment was simed at the evil spirits who were responsible for the economic depression from which Peiping suffered during the last twelve months, or at those spirits that are causing the uncertain future political outlook.
During the first month of the year fairs ave held at popular various temples in and outside the " city. Nominally they are connected with. certain religious ceremonies, but except in a few cases these are. merely a pretext, The real reason why people go to these fairs is to see the crowds—and be seen by them and to buy certain toys and Kknickiknacks that are only sold during the New Year season.
These fairs are thronged from morning to night with dense masses of humanity which brings forcibly to mind the perennial mystery—of Pelping:—where do they all. come from? And as they all seem to hat plenty of money to spend:—how do they earn their living? Not to men-lon the question: how can all these people get away from their work—presuming that they have any—at all hours of the day, as they seem 10) dot fo overtake the one in front; and the breach of this rule sometimes led to serious brawls and even riots. The fend crowds of spectators sitting on the fide of the road drinking tea were the actual judges, whose applause or Jeers decided the favourites, These aces have long since been given up.
'The largest of the New Year fairs In the Chinese City, the southern {section of Peiping, at the Liulfehang, a street' once famous for its old bookshops. This is a fair pure and simple, without any religious a3s0- lations, "Tt is in two parts, There Is the Temple of the God of Fire Where the covered-in courtyard has been turned into one vast curio shop.
packed to" overflowing with dozens of small stalls on which are displayed every conceivable kind of urio, among which jade and other precious stones form a large part, by Pak Many foreigners fondly iniagine that this 1s a good opportunity and the right place in which to pick cheap bargains. That may have been 430, some years ago, It is scarcely coe to-day. Good things are as dear here as inthe curio shops, while there Is a more than usually high percentage of fakes, The only advan-age is that you have a large selec-spread out, $0 to say, In front of your eyes, The other part of the fair is Surther down the street, in a large enclosure which is filed with stalls selling wares of all kinds, of which curios, again, and toys form a large proportion, 'Among these latter the most popular Is a framework of reed and straw, about three feet long, decorated with coloured paper fags and with small) wheels that' turn in the wind "omitting a. pleasant clatter, Then there are the crabapple sticks three to four feet long on which are Impaled two dozen or more crab:
wgared over; paper theatres, where the paper figures of the actors in be revolved appearing and thin "strips velvet; and last but not least sets of diavolo, stilt stra
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.