A PAGODA, OR TEMPLE,
For religious Worship,
T he C h in e se are sc ru p u lo u sly o bservant o f m o ral an d re lig io u s d u tie s ;
a n d th e ir c o u n try abounds w ith temples, o f vario u s forms, to w h ich th ey
re so rt, o n ev e ry in te re stin g occasion, a n d offer th e ir sacrifices. Besides
these temples, a small tabernacle, o r n ich e , c o n ta in in g th e ir household
(rods, is to be fo u n d in a lm o st eve ry house a n d sh ip .
Some religious ceremonies o f the C h in e se resemble those o f the C h u rc h
o f R ome ; an d th e C h in e se Id o l, denominated Shin -mo o , is v e ry s imila r
to th e representa tions o f tlie V irg in an d C liild ; b o th b ein g figures o f a
female an d a n in fan t, w ith ra y s o f g lo ry issu in g from th e ir heads, and
h a v in g lig h ts b u rn in g before th em , d u rin g the d a y as well as n ig h t.
T h e g re ater p a r t o f the people, are o f the sect o f F o ; whose followers
believe in th e metempsychosis, an d in a fu tu re state o f h appine ss, after a
v irtu o u s life ; an d suppose, th a t th e souls o f the irre lig io u s live hereafter
in a state o f suffering, a n d subject to th e h a rd sh ip s e n d u red b y in ferio r
an im a ls .
T h e figures dressed in loose gowns, are p riests, atten d in g at the tem p le ;
a n d th e back g ro u n d , is a view o f the c ity T in -h a i, N o v . 2 1 , 17 93.
(|