Without the gates of the Chinese city, and of _King tching_, I mark the suburbs; which are very full of people and merchants, and like so many cities. In most of these suburbs there are fine temples of idols. The _Sien nong tan_ in the Chinese city is almost six _ly_ in circuit. These three words signify, The hill of the ancient husbandmen. The emperor goes thither every year in the spring to till the ground, and sacrifices on that hill to heaven. The emperor’s apartments there have nothing magnificent in them; but the ceremony of ploughing is a solemn and curious one, and deserves a particular description. The emperor tills under a small covering of mat. When he has ploughed about half an hour, he ascends a large alcove, from whence he sees the princes, great men, and mandarins, plough in the fields, which are not covered with mats. While the emperor is ploughing, a good number of peasants sing ancient songs on the importance of ploughing. The emperor, princes, and great men, are dressed in the habit of plough-men, and their instruments of husbandry are very neat, and kept in a magazine. There are granaries for the grain produced by this tillage; and it is carefully remarked, that the grain from the emperor’s tillage is much better than that from the labour of others. From this grain are made several cakes for the various sacrifices to Heaven or _Chang ti_. The emperor prepares himself for this ceremony by fasting, prayers to heaven, and a kind of retreat: and the intention of it is to keep up a memorial of those times, in which the princes themselves tilled the ground. This ceremony is of the highest antiquity in China. Over against the _Sien nong tan_ is the _Tien tan_, or Hill of Heaven, near ten _ly_ in circuit. Every thing here is magnificent. The emperor goes thither every year at the winter solstice to sacrifice to heaven. He prepares himself three days for this ceremony by fasting, in a palace of _Tien tan_, called the _palace of fasting_. The hill, on which the emperor sacrifices, is magnificently adorned. At the four avenues are beautiful triumphal arches of fine marble; and the hill is ascended by elegant steps. In this ceremony are introduced many usages contrary to the ancient Chinese doctrine concerning the sacrifice to heaven. On the day of the winter solstice are added the honours paid to the five planets, that is, to their spirit. These ceremonies added to the sacrifice to heaven are not very ancient. There are likewise honours to the first founders of the reigning dynasty. At several other times the emperor goes to _Tien tan_ to perform a sacrifice to heaven, and to honour his deceased ancestors.