Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 68.djvu/108

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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY

Rows or Examination Stalls at Nanking, as seen from the 'Clear Far-seeing Tower.'

in good standing the next lower degree. But there has been an imperial examination in the presence of the emperor open to all those who had at least the second degree. Those who attained the highest rank were made district magistrates. The men in the second grade were styled 'professors.'

Some idea Of the tremendous importance of any change in this system may be secured from the consideration that some 760,000 candidates competed biennially for the first degree, while about 190,000 competed triennially for the second degree—a total of 950,000 for the whole empire. (In the United States the total enrolment in universities, colleges and professional and normal schools for 1902 was 246,000.) And this does not take into account another 1,000,000 students

Examination Stalls at Nanking, showing entrances to passages between long rows of stalls. The first stall in the right hand pasage is seen. Successive rows indicated by characters from the Millenary Classics.