Identifier: cu31924023246816 (find matches)
Title: Sidelights on Chinese life
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Macgowan, J. (John), d. 1922
Subjects: National characteristics, Chinese
Publisher: London : Paul, Trench, Trübner
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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here the sight of the sun is what they see of him as hepasses overhead, as he pours down his fiery scorching raysupon the unsavoury, vile-smelling streets below ! There is hardly a sombre-looking face amongst them all,for the spirit of the day is upon every one. They presenta most interesting and beautiful appearance; usually onlymen are seen in any numbers on the streets, but to-daywomen are quite as numerous as the men, and their gayand showy coloured dresses relieve the sombre blue inwhich the sterner sex delight to array themselves. All at once the hum of voices is hushed and all eyes areturned in the direction of the sea, for there the DragonBoats have suddenly made their appearance, each one madlystriving to beat the other as they both race on towards a junkanchored in the stream, from which flags and many-colouredstreamers float in the breeze, and which has beenappointed to be the goal towards which the boats mustrace. The Dragon Boats are long and narrow, and onlyjust wide 138
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AMUSEMENTS enough to allow two men to sit side by side and use theirpaddles to propel the boat. The number that is commonlyemployed in one of them is sixty, not including the cox-swain, who stands in the stern holding a long oar with whichhe steers his way through the crowds of boats that havecome with their passengers to get a good look at the races. The effect of these sixty men paddling with all theirmight is very striking, and puts one in mind of a hugecentipede, though the Chinese, with more imagination andmore poetry, have likened it to the fabulous dragon thatplays so large a part in the mythology and superstition ofthe nation. The festivities continue for three days, and the inhabitantsof the city with unabated zeal gather by the seashore tolaugh and joke and gossip, and to look at the blue sky andto see the sea tossing and foaming under the pressure ofSouth-West Monsoon. With the conclusion of the sports, the great masses ofpeople that lined the hills and eminences near the e

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