This fair is well-known to foreign residents in Peiping, who used 10 visit it In large numbers. because it fs fairly ensily accessible and can be done in one day: One con get by fear {0 the foot of the hills, and from there it is q climb of nder four hours. either on one's feet or ina choir, to the temples at the top. In. former times the route to the top was very picturesque and animated, with a continuous stream of pilgrims Jascending and descending; the latter wearing coloured ribbons in rheic hats or red plush decorations on their Jackets, as proof that they had performed the pilgrimage.
The chief. and more serious. purpose of the pilgrimage. as distinct from the general fun of the fair, was to burn Incense before the Goddess of Merey." Kuan Yin, whose main funetions—at any rate at this partijcular temple—were to cure certain Giseases and to send children to the Another great feature of the fair were the village musical" societies thut Is the only way I can describe them—who, combining art and plea~ sure, make the pilgrimage. giving musical performances at the innumer-fable fea-houses erected on the various routes. and, of course, at Miaofengshan itself.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.