Foreign Relations of the United States, 1901, Appendix, Affairs in China, Report of William W. Rockhill, Late Commissioner to China, with Accompanying Documents
Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, China, June 4, 1901
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for convenience of reference, copies of the full correspondence exchanged with the Chinese [Page 189] plenipotentiaries in connection with, the reform of the Court ceremonial relating to audiences of foreign representatives with His Majesty the Emperor.
It seems highly probable that this question will not be finally settled until the return of the Emperor to Peking and an audience is offered the foreign representatives. Li Hung-chang has repeatedly assured me that it can then be promptly and satisfactorily arranged.
I am, etc.,
M. de Cologan to the Chinese plenipotentiaries.
Highness, Excellency: The representatives of the powers have taken, as regards the modifications to he introduced in the Court ceremonial, the following resolutions, of which they ask the execution, in conformity with article 12 of the Joint Note:
Solemn audiences given by the Emperor to the diplomatic corps shall take place in the T’ai-ho Tien; those which shall be given to one of the representatives of the powers shall take place in the Chien-ching Kung.
When the diplomatic agent shall present his letters of credence, or a communication from the Chief of the State by whom he is credited, the Emperor shall send an Imperial sedan chair, which shall take him at his residence and conduct him with his suite to the palace, where he shall be received. He shall be reconducted with the same ceremony.
In going to these audiences the diplomatic agent shall pass through the central doors (or gates) until he has handed in his letters of credence or communication. In returning he shall conform to the usages already established.
The Emperor shall receive directly into his hands the letters or communications which the diplomatic agents shall have to give him.
In going to solemn audiences the representatives of the powers shall be carried in their chairs before the hall in which they shall be received by the Emperor. They shall take their chairs again at the place at which they shall have left them.
The Emperor shall assist in person at the banquets which he may offer to the diplomatic corps, as was done yearly before the events of last year, and these banquets shall take place in the Chien-ching Kung.
In a general way my colleagues declare that the Court ceremony concerning their receptions shall comply with the usages established between independent and equal nations, and they ask that the details entering into the settlement of this question, of which they confine themselves in indicating here the more general provisions, shall be incorporated in a protocol drawn up between them and the plenipotentiaries of the Imperial Government.
I beg your highness and your excellency to be pleased to ask the Emperor to order the measures which the execution of these resolutions necessitate.
The Chinese plenipotentiaries to M. de Cologan.
Your Excellency: On the 10th of April we had the honor to receive a communication from your excellency in which you submitted the conclusion arrived at by the foreign representatives in regard to the ceremonial’ to be observed at audiences of His Majesty the Emperor.
Though the ceremonial is in accordance with the form prevailing in European countries and the United States, still there are certain points which we find it difficult to comply with. They are four in number, which we would submit for the consideration of the foreign representatives:
1. As to general audiences being held in the T’ai-ho Tien, we would point out that this throne hall is used by the Emperor, who ascends the Throne on the [Page 190] occasion of great celebrations and when his majesty receives New Year’s congratulations. When the Emperor ascends the throne the insignia carried before the Emperor, the Emperor’s traveling equipage or escort, the whip which is cracked, and the band of music, must be arranged in due order. The princes, dukes, and civil and military officers are assigned places in the courtyard where the stones are marking their rank. The rules are very strict and not the least disorder will be allowed.
The Emperor must appear in full court dress, and the forms of etiquette are multifarious. It is therefore very inconvenient to hold audiences granted to foreign representatives there. If a change is made and audiences held in another hall this would seem to be more suitable.
2. In the matter of the foreign representative presenting his letters of credence, or a letter from the head of his State, on which occasion an Imperial sedan chair should be sent for them, we would state that it is not convenient to send the chair the Emperor rides in. The Imperial household naturally should prepare a sedan chair, such as is used by the high officials of the first rank, to be sent for the minister; this would be in accordance with the rules of state. There is practically no difference in the above system to that prevailing in European countries.
3. As to the question that the foreign representatives should be taken to the steps Of the audience hall and should be taken back therefrom, we would observe that heretofore princes, dukes, and ministers of state, on going to the forbidden city, alight from their chairs outside of the Tung Hua gate and the Hsi Hua gate, as the case may be. An exception, however, has been made by special decree in the case of Prince Kung, the uncle of the Emperor, and Prince Chun, the father of the Emperor, who are permitted to take their chairs to the Ching Yun gate on the east side and to the Lung Tsung gate on the west side. In European countries the foreign representatives take carriages, but they are not allowed to go to the front of the steps of the audience hall. It appears that there is no distinction made in this rule. The question should receive further consideration and changes made.
4. As to the question that if banquets are given, as have been done in previous years, these should take place in the Chien-ching Kung and the Emperor assist in person, we may observe that the ceremonial at banquets given by sovereigns of foreign countries to diplomatic representatives is not the same. That banquets should be given in the Chien-ching Kung and the Emperor assist in person is still a trivial matter, and changes can be made by way of accommodation or compromise; but as to banquets being given, this is a matter optional (with the Emperor), and one that can await further discussion.
The above we present as being our views for your excellency’s further consideration.
In a word, no matter what form of courtesy China shows to the foreign representatives, on no account will it be other than on a footing of equality between the two countries concerned without loss of prestige.
In sending this communication to your excellency, as dean of the diplomatic corps, we beg that you will confer with your colleagues and favor us with a reply.
M. de Cologan to the Chinese plenipotentiaries.
Highness, Excellency: On the 29th of April I had the honor to receive your communication in reply to the one which I had sent you on the 18th to communicate to you the views of my colleagues concerning the modifications of the Court ceremonial concerning the reception of foreign representatives by His Majesty the Emperor.
My colleagues request me to inform you, in reply to your letter, that the hall in the Imperial Palace called Chien-ching Kung, which they had indicated as the most appropriate for the audiences of separate foreign representatives of His Majesty, being also suitable for audiences given to the whole diplomatic corps, they modify the demand transmitted in my letter of the 18th of April in that sense. The Chien-ching Kung shall be the hall in which all solemn audiences given by His Majesty the Emperor to the representatives of the powers, either individually or collectively, shall take place.
As to the Imperial sedan chair which is to be sent to the residence of a foreign representative for the presentation of his letters of credence or a communication [Page 191] from the Chief of the State by which he is accredited, my colleagues understand by that that it shall be a sedan chair of the Imperial color, similar to those used by His Majesty.
The explanations which you have given concerning the spot where the foreign ministers should leave and get back into their sedan chairs when they shall be admitted to Imperial audiences have not appeared satisfactory to my colleagues, who insist in this connection, and under reserve of the modification accepted by them in the selection of the hall, on the right which they have demanded. In consequence they will alight and get back into their sedan chairs at the foot of the steps leading up to the hall.
As regards the banquets which His Majesty the Emperor may give to the representatives of the powers, my colleagues request me to inform you that the only bearing of their demand is to prevent that henceforth the Emperor should invite them in another building than one of those in the Imperial palace and that he should be represented by someone else at the banquets offered by him and in his name. But it never entered into their minds to make it obligatory for the Emperor to address to the diplomatic agents invitations to dinner.
I avail myself of this opportunity, etc.,
The Chinese plenipotentiaries to M. de Cologan.
Your Excellency: On the 11th of May, we had the honor to receive your excellency’s communication in reply, having reference to the audience ceremonial.
We have given this matter our careful consideration, and we find that it is absolutely necessary for us to again present our views in support of the position we take.
As to the color of the chair, we may state that in China the Emperor is the only personage using the sedan chair covered with yellow. The Princes, Dukes, and Ministers of State all use chairs covered with green cloth.
On a foreign representative going to an audience, a large sedan chair covered with green cloth should be provided and sent to take him. This would fully show honor and dignity to his rank. To ride in a yellow chair would appear as though the personage in it was the Emperor himself. On hearing this the people would naturally become astonished, and it would also be inconvenient for us to present your excellency’s communication in a memorial to the Throne. In a previous communication we explained our views re the question of the place where the foreign representatives should alight and take their chairs.
Under the system hitherto prevailing in China, Princes, Dukes, and Ministers of State alight from their chairs outside of the Tung Hua gate; but as to the chairs the Emperor grants them for use in the Forbidden City, these are in the shape of small chairs which they can ride in to the Ching Yun gate.
In the communication (under acknowledgment) it states that on an audience being given to a single representative or to the diplomatic corps, these should be given in the Chien-ching Kung.
We would observe that to enter the audience hall in question it is necessary to take the road by way of the Ching Yun gate. Then conformably to the rule existing in regard to the chairs granted to Princes, Dukes, and Ministers of State, going into the Forbidden City, these are taken after entering the Tung Hua gate. The chairs are called i chiao. This would be more in accordance with what is befitting. The foreign representatives alighting from and taking their chairs in front of the steps of the Chien-ching Kung would not be suitable, and it would be a matter difficult to agree to.
We have the honor, therefore, to request your excellency to be good enough to satisfactorily arrange this matter with your colleagues and favor us with a reply.
M. Cologan to the Chinese Plenipotentiaries.
Highness and Excellency: I received the letter which you were pleased to send me under date the 12th of May, concerning the court ceremony, “and I did not fail to communicate it to my colleagues.
[Page 192]The representatives of the foreign powers, after having considered it, they requested me to inform your highness and your excellency that they can only maintain the demands expressed in my note of the 10th of May.
I avail myself, etc.,