In Peking's Public Gardens
P L EASURE gardens for the people of Peking were almost unheard i of in the good old Imperial days. In fact, according to Dr. Hu Shih, even scholars and men of wealth and education "had no place for excursion or rendezvous in the city except the Tao-jan Ting, a deserted, Lonely arbor in the southem extremity of the city." But since the downfall of the Manchu dynasty, and since de A mocracy has become the order of the day, great changes have taken place in the city, and several of the fine old Imperial pleasure gardens have been opened up and converted into public parks. The first of these princely recreation grounds to be throun open to the people were the famous gardens in the southern portion of the Imperial City, containing the She Chi Tan, or "Altar of the five Elements." The last thus to be opened to the public were the enchanting Pei Hai gardens, just north of the Winter Palace. The former is now known as Central Park, and is one of the most attractive spots in the Capital It possesses many fine promenades and avenues, lined by fine old cedars, and is dotted with cafés, restaurants, and attractive playgrounds. In order to keep out the riffraff and the innumerable beggars, a small entrance fee is generally charged. The Chinese people love a crowd, and the aristocrats of Peking society delight in almost daily excursions to beautiful Central Park. Here the elite can get away from the humdrum commonplace life of the city, and enjoy to the full the pleasure of standing about in leisurely dignity, or of drinking a cup of tea with friends, while overlooking the quiet waters of the Purple City moat. "The visitor who wishes to see Chinese Peking society at its best and brightest should visit these gardens between five and seven o'clock of a summer evening. Vith its old stone benches under the trees of what used to be Palace gardens, and its flower beds enlivened by booths and restaurants, its artificial hills, its kangs filled with wonderful gold fish," Central Park is at once the gayest and most popular resort in the city. "The crowds that patronize all these attractions," observes Miss Bredon, "are extremely well-dressed, decorous, intelligent, and are interesting as representatives of the best classes of residents in the Capital." These pleasure gardens are bordered on the north by a section of the Forbidden City wall, and our picture shows one of the majestic comer towers-its multiple roof of Imperial yellow glaze overshadowing a comer of the park As usual, the wall is sur counded by a broad moat, which in the summer time is completely covered by a luxuriant growth of magnificent lotus. Our photo was taken at the southern approach to the long red bridge that spans the waters of the canal.
