It Is Possible, However, That The Name Acbalec May Have Been Given By The
Tartars Without Any Reference To Chinese Etymologies.
We have already twice
met with the name or its equivalent (Acbaluc in ch.
Xxxvii. of this Book,
and Chaghan Balghasun in note 3 to Book I. ch. lx.), whilst Strahlenberg
tells us that the Tartars call all great residences of princes by this name
(Amst. ed. 1757, I. p. 7). It may be that Han-chung itself was so named by
the Tartars; though its only claim that I can find is, that it was the
first residence of the Han Dynasty. Han-chung fu stands in a beautiful
plain, which forms a very striking object to the traveller who is leaving
the T'sing-ling mountains. Just before entering the plains, the Helung
Kiang passes through one of its wildest gorges, a mere crevice between
vertical walls several hundred feet high. The road winds to the top of one
of the cliffs in zigzags cut in the solid rock. From the temple of Kitau
Kwan, which stands at the top of the cliff, there is a magnificent view of
the Plain, and no traveller would omit this, the most notable feature
between the valley of the Wei and Ch'eng-tu-fu. It is, moreover, the only
piece of level ground, of any extent, that is passed through between those
two regions, whichever road or track be taken. (Richthofen, MS. Notes.)
[In the China Review (xiv. p. 358) Mr. E.H. Parker, has an article on
Acbalec Manzi, but does not throw any new light on the subject.
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