The Chinese, on account of their localization, and lack of experience,
while usually placid, can be worked up into uncontrollable excitement.
This explains the murders of missionaries by mobs in the long years
up to 1901. Many suicides among officials and widows and daughters of
soldiers followed the excitement and distress of the October, 1911,
revolution. The camaraderie of American clubs which has evolved the
greeting, “old fellow,” equal to the “old chap” of British clubs, was
copied from China, where you must call every one “old man” (lao jen).
It is the highest term of respect, is in diplomatic use, and even
bonzes and teachers are addressed in that way. A captain of a sanpan
is called the “great old one” (lao ta). The mayor is called “old man
of the village” (hsiang lao). The following incident will illustrate
how the clan dominates Chinese life. San Wui is a city lying near
Canton. The Kwan family is one of the largest and wealthiest clans
living there. It maintained near the district burial ground a fine,
large ancestral hall filled with family tablets and effigies. Against
the votes of the clan, in the middle of August, 1911, Kwan Ta, one
of the most powerful members, rented the building to the police, who
used it as headquarters in collecting unpopular taxes and pressing
the people to accept the nationalization of railways scheme. The
people led by the Kwan clan, burned the ancestral temple. The members
of the clan then rebuilt the hall and ordered the sculptors to make
an image of the unpopular Kwan Ta, who had died in the meantime. The
granite image represents the man with his hands behind his back in a
kneeling posture. On his back is carved the history of his defection.
As each member of the Kwan clan comes into the temple on the great
days to worship the ancestral tablets which have been restored, it is
obligatory that he shall give Kwan Ta’s image three strokes of the
bamboo!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account