Hang-chow went at the
time by the nickname of the melting-pot for money. The use, at houses of
entertainment, of linen and silver plate appears somewhat out of keeping
in a Chinese picture. I cannot vouch for the linen, but here is the
plate.... 'The most famous Tea-houses of the day were the Pa-seen ("8
genii"), the "Pure Delight", the "Pearl", the "House of the Pwan Family,"
and the "Two and Two" and "Three and Three" houses (perhaps rather "Double
honours" and "Treble honours"). In these places they always set out
bouquets of fresh flowers, according to the season.... At the counter were
sold "Precious thunder Tea", Tea of fritters and onions, or else Pickle
broth; and in hot weather wine of snow bubbles and apricot blossom, or
other kinds of refrigerating liquor. Saucers, ladles, and bowls were all
of pure, silver!' (Si-Hu-Chi.)"
[Illustration: Plan of the Metropolitan City of Hangchow in the 13th
Century. (From the Notes of the Right Rev. G.E. Moule.)
1-17, Gates; 18, Ta-nuy, Central Palace; 19, Woo-Foo, The Five Courts;
20, T'ai Miao, The Imperial Temple; 21, Fung-hwang shan, Phoenix Hill;
22, Shih fuh she, Monastery of the Sacred Fruit; 25-30, Gates; 31,
T'ien tsung yen tsang T'ien tsung Salt Depot; 2, T'ien tsung tsew koo,
T'ien tsung Wine Store; 33, Chang she, The Chang Monastery; 34, Foo
che, Prefecture; Foo hio, Prefectural Confucian Temple.]
NOTE 5.
