["Near the eastern end of the bridge (Kin-ao yue-tung which crosses the
lake) the visitor sees a circular wall, which is called yuean ch'eng
(round wall).
It is about 350 paces in circuit. Within it is an imperial
building Ch'eng-kuang tien, dating from the Mongol time. From this
circular enclosure, another long and beautifully executed marble bridge
leads northwards, to a charming hill, covered with shady trees, and capped
by a magnificent white suburga." (Bretschneider, p. 22.) - H. C.]
In a plate attached to next chapter, I have drawn, on a small scale, the
existing cities of Peking, as compared with the Mongol and Chinese cities
in the time of Kublai. The plan of the latter has been constructed (1)
from existing traces, as exhibited in the Russian Survey republished by
our War Office; (2) from information kindly afforded by Dr. Lockhart; and
(3) from Polo's description and a few slight notices by Gaubil and others.
It will be seen, even on the small scale of these plans, that the general
arrangement of the palace, the park, the lakes (including that in the
city, which appears in Ramusio's version), the bridge, the mount, etc., in
the existing Peking, very closely correspond with Polo's indications; and
I think the strong probability is that the Ming really built on the old
traces, and that the lake, mount, etc., as they now stand, are
substantially those of the Great Mongol, though Chinese policy or
patriotism may have spread the belief that the foreign traces were
obliterated.
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