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EAST ASIA.
have been planted by Confucius, while urns, tripods, manuscripts,
precious objects, said to have belonged to the philosopher, are preserved
and other
in the
private apartments of the princely head of the family. The domain of this
dignitary, who is a direct feudatory of the empire, is no less than 165,000 acres
in extent. When Kinfao was seized by the Taiping rebels, they respected the
temple, the palace, and all their contents, and even spared the life of the
local governor, contrary to their invariable practice. Near the temple
is the
grave of Confucius, in the centre of a vast space occupied by the family
necropolis. Towards the south-west is another cemetery near the small town
of Tsin-hien, which for the last twenty-two centuries has received the remains
of all the descendants of Mengtze (Mencius), the most renowned disciple of
Confucius.
Tsingchew-fn, the old capital of Shantung, lies on the northern slope
of the
mountains in a valley draining to the Gulf of Pechili. Although much reduced, it is
still a large place, and a now almost deserted Tatar quarter recalls the early days
of the Manchu conquest. Tsingchew has become a chief centre of Islam in East
China, and a knowledge of Arabic is still kept alive in its schools. The surround-
ing district is extremely productive and densely peopled. The hills in the southwest
contain rich coal mines and sandstone quarries, the powdered material of
which is sent to every part of China for the manufacture of glass.
Although ranking as a simple Men, or " town of the third class," Wei is really
the most important place in Shantung. It is conveniently situated in the plain
which separates the two upland regions of the province, and enjoys easy communi-
cation with the northern and southern shores of the peninsula. To Kiai/ing and
other ports on these shores it forwards the silks, tobacco, coal, iron, saltpetre, and
other produce of the country, for which it has become the chief emporium. The
long-projected railway to the coast is still opposed by the Government ; but it is
connected by carriage roads with the southern ports, with the great market of
Chewtsun, with the gold mines of Pinr/tu, and with Lachew, on the Gulf of Pechili,
noted for its rich deposits of soapstone. Hoang-hicn, in the northern section of
the peninsula, does a large forwarding trade, especially to Manchuria, through the
port of Lungkeic, and with Europe through Teinjcheic, recently made a treaty port.
The harbour of Tengchew was formerly deep enough for Chinese craft to penetrate
into the interior of the city ; but they are now excluded, while large vessels are
obliged to anchor a long way from the shore. Hence the foreign merchants have
removed most of their business to the more commodious port of Yenta'i, the
"
Smoky," so named from a beacon-fire which formerly served as a signal
to warn
the people of the coast from the Japanese pirates. But the place is better known
by the name of Che/u, from a
promontory protecting the harbour on the north, and
commanded by a cone 1,000 feet high. In summer Chefu is the " Scarborough "
of the foreign communities in China. Other seaports at the eastern extremity of
the peninsula are Wei/iai, with a good harbour ;
a brisk trade with Korea.
Tungching, and Shitaic, both doing
On the southern slope of the peninsula the chief places are Laiyany, on r.