718

CHINA

lease ot the Bay of Kuaug-Chaii-Wau, on the coast of the peuiusula, betweei) Hong Koijg and the Island of Hainan, and in November, 1899, the possession of the two islands commanding the entrance of the bay. This territory has lieen placed under the authority of the Governor-General of French Indo- China.

Peking, the capital of China, according to a census undertaken by the Minister of the Interior (1912) gives the total population as 1,300,000. Tientsin, from 750,000 to 900,000 ; Canton and Singan, each doubtfully credited with 1,000,000.

The Chinese population of the treaty ports is (1911) estimated as follows, mostly from Imperial maritime customs, partly from Consular, returns: —

Ports

Antung Tatungkau . Niuchwang . Chinwangtao Tientsin Chefoo . Kiauchau Chungking . Changsha Yocliau . Ichang . Shasi . Haiikau. Kiukiang Wuhu . Nanking Chinkiang . •Shanghai Suchau .

Population

161,000

3,000

61,000

5,000

800,000

54,000

34,000

598,000

250,000

20,000

45,000

90,000

820,000

36,000

122,000

267,000

184,000

651,000

500,000

Ports

Hangchau

Ningpo .

Wenchau

flantuao

Fuchau .

Anioy .

Swatow

Canton .

Kongmun

Samshui

Kiungchau

Pakhoi .

Wuchau

Nanning

Lungchow

Mengtsz

Szeraao .

Tengyueh

Population

350,000

350,000

100,000

8,000

r.24,000

114,000

66,000

',100,000

62,000

6,000

43,000

20,000

59,000

37,000

13,000

11,000

15.000

10,000

According to an estimate of the Imperial Customs authorities, in 1911 the total number of foreigners resident in China was 153,522, the nationalities most numerously represented being : —

Japanese*.

. 78,306

American

3,470

French .

1,925

Russian .

. 51,221

Portuguese.

3,224

Other nationalities

2,362

British .

. 10,256

German

2,75S

Relig^ion.

Three religions are acknowledged by the Chinese as indigenous and adopted, viz. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

The police authorities of Peking, about the end of 1908, made a census of the temples in Peking and of their inhabitants. The totals are as follows : Temples of all descriptions, 1,049 ; Buddhist priests, 1,553 ; Taoist, 133 ; Nuns, 102 ; Students (T'u-ti), 934 ; Servants, 795 ; Lodgers in temples 15,445.

Under the monarchy the Emperor was considered the sole high pi'icst of the Empire, and could alone, with his immediate representatives and ministers, perform the great religious ceremonies. No ecclesiastical hierarchy is main- tained at the public expense, nor any priesthood attached to the Confucian religion. The Confucian is the State religion, if the respect paid to the memory of the great teacher can be called religion at all. But distinct and totally separate from the stated periodic observances of respect otfered to

the memory of Confucius as the Holy Man of old (who was deified by Imperial