DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0710
68G
('HINESE ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
the Hyksos by the uprising of the native Egyptian races. During
all this long period the same patriarchal form of government pre-
vailed in both countries—the king being not only the head of the
secular government, but the chief priest of the people. Both people
early attained a certain stage of civilization, and maintained it with-
out change or progress during the whole period of their existence.
The syllabic symbols of the Chinese are the exact counterpart of the
hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians, as clumsy and as unlike that
i if any other contemporary nation, and as symbolic of their exclusive
segregation from the rest of mankind. In both countries there was
always the same calm contemplation of death, the same desire for
an honourable funeral and a splendid tomb, and the same reverence
for the dead. In these and fifty other particulars, the manners
and customs of the two peoples seem identical, and the perfect paral-
lelism only breaks down when we come to speak of their buildings.
There are no tombs in China to be compared with the Pyramids,
and no temples that approach those of Thebes in dimensions or in
splendour.
If the Chinese were as closely allied to the Tartar or Mongolian
tribes on their north-eastern frontier as is generally supposed, this
difference could not have existed. It may therefore be, as has been
suspected, that the true Chinese are more closely allied to the
Polynesian races, especially on the sea-board, which is the only
part of the country we are really acquainted with. When the inner
country has been more carefully examined, it is probable that we may
see cause to modify our opinion as to the architectural character
of the Chinese people.
This will be especially the case if, as is highly probable, the so-
called Indo-Chinese inhabitants of Cambodia are very much more
closely allied in blood to the Chinese than they are to any of the
races inhabiting India ; since, by the erection of the buildings described
in the last division of this work, the Cambodians have nobly vindi-
cated their title to be considered as one of the great building races
of the world. Considering the short time of their existence and the
limited area they occupied, they may in fact lay claim to having
surpassed even the Egyptians in this respect.
It will be strange if in Honan and Quang-si we do not eventually
find the links which will confirm the connexion of the two races of
Cambodia and China, and explain what at present can only be regarded
as one of the unsolved problems of architectural history.
A little well-directed industry on the spot would very soon clear all
this doubt away. Meanwhile there are other minor causes which may
have contributed to the absence of monumental buildings in China,
and which it may be as well to allude to before proceeding further.
In the first place, the Chinese never had either a dominant priesthood
('HINESE ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
the Hyksos by the uprising of the native Egyptian races. During
all this long period the same patriarchal form of government pre-
vailed in both countries—the king being not only the head of the
secular government, but the chief priest of the people. Both people
early attained a certain stage of civilization, and maintained it with-
out change or progress during the whole period of their existence.
The syllabic symbols of the Chinese are the exact counterpart of the
hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians, as clumsy and as unlike that
i if any other contemporary nation, and as symbolic of their exclusive
segregation from the rest of mankind. In both countries there was
always the same calm contemplation of death, the same desire for
an honourable funeral and a splendid tomb, and the same reverence
for the dead. In these and fifty other particulars, the manners
and customs of the two peoples seem identical, and the perfect paral-
lelism only breaks down when we come to speak of their buildings.
There are no tombs in China to be compared with the Pyramids,
and no temples that approach those of Thebes in dimensions or in
splendour.
If the Chinese were as closely allied to the Tartar or Mongolian
tribes on their north-eastern frontier as is generally supposed, this
difference could not have existed. It may therefore be, as has been
suspected, that the true Chinese are more closely allied to the
Polynesian races, especially on the sea-board, which is the only
part of the country we are really acquainted with. When the inner
country has been more carefully examined, it is probable that we may
see cause to modify our opinion as to the architectural character
of the Chinese people.
This will be especially the case if, as is highly probable, the so-
called Indo-Chinese inhabitants of Cambodia are very much more
closely allied in blood to the Chinese than they are to any of the
races inhabiting India ; since, by the erection of the buildings described
in the last division of this work, the Cambodians have nobly vindi-
cated their title to be considered as one of the great building races
of the world. Considering the short time of their existence and the
limited area they occupied, they may in fact lay claim to having
surpassed even the Egyptians in this respect.
It will be strange if in Honan and Quang-si we do not eventually
find the links which will confirm the connexion of the two races of
Cambodia and China, and explain what at present can only be regarded
as one of the unsolved problems of architectural history.
A little well-directed industry on the spot would very soon clear all
this doubt away. Meanwhile there are other minor causes which may
have contributed to the absence of monumental buildings in China,
and which it may be as well to allude to before proceeding further.
In the first place, the Chinese never had either a dominant priesthood