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Chinese Feast to Disembodied Spirits.
[Oct.
Besides the ceremony, just described at the temple, the private festivals of the different fraternities or kongsis, into which the Chinese enrol themselves, are held on the succeeding days of the month, in different quarters of the town; conducted by their respective Lo-chus and Tao-kis. As these are regularly subscribed for by the fraternity and consecrated to the manes of their departed relatives, no indiscriminate sharing of the remnants are permitted; each member carrying off at its termination the dishes he contributed, or is entitled to. The Wey-siongs or priests, attended and offered prayers and incense, first to the Penates[1] and then to the spirits, who are presumed to be
- ↑ The household gods of the Chinese are generally a triad of deified mortals depicted on a large sheet of thick paper, which is suspended to the wall of the Interior of their houses. Offerings of incense are made to them every day at sun-rise and sun-set, and of tiny cups of tea at the new and full moons. The vessels of ashes used at the funerals, about which the spirits of the deceased are supposed to hover, are placed on a small table in front of the picture. The principal figure in the group is that of Quantai, king of the west, who is represented In the painting from Canton in my possession as a portly middle aged person, with a rubicund visage garnished by a pair of sedulously cultivated farm and mustachios. A scanty black beard descends from the tip of his chin down his capacious chest He wears a purple tiara richly embroidered with gold, surmounted by a crimson ball. A white failing collar edged with blue, is fastened with a jewel round his throat. A red vest is almost concealed by a surcoat of light green, lined with pink, which descends to the feet and is emblazoned with the truculent heads of the imperial dragon in gold. He is confined around his ample waist by a red cincture, studded with precious stones, from which depends a long crimson tassel. Emerging from the folds of the robe on the left side, appears the opou or purse of red, green, azure and gold. The feet are protected by red slippers made after the Chinese fashion, with thick white soles, turned up at the toes, and ornamented with green and white He is seated on a throne of a dark reddish wood, over the arm of which hangs the skin of a lion. His left hand grasps one arm of the seat while his right plays with his beard. The right shoulder is ornamented with a richly embroidered badge.
The two other personages are subordinate in the group, and preserve a standing posture. The one on Quantai's right is a ferocious looking black, holding the tat of office, a sort of poll-axe, adorned with a red tassel, and inlaid with gold. From his right depends a green hilted sword furnished with a blue sword knot His head is covered with a pink cap embroidered in gold, green, blue and white, a large gilded badge decorates the upper part of the right arm, and a straggling black beard descends on a blue edged, white falling collar. His robe is of various colours.
The figure on Quantai's left is frequently omitted. His name is Wam-poa and he seems to be the Mantri or prime minister, from his bearing the bag containing the imperial signet. His features are benignant and placid; his face fair and of the true Chinese expression, affording a striking contrast to the fierce Tartar countenance of Quantai, and the diabolical visage of Chuchong. His cap is of a fanciful shape, of various colours and richly embroidered with gold. A blue sash edged with white and gold, confines a plain red robe. The length of the finger nails of Wampoa and Quantai, imply a life of ease. The bag containing the signet is of a pale yellow, bearing a Chinese inscription in letters of gold on a pink ground.
