GREAT CHINESE FESTIVAL.
{"newspaper_name": "The Wilmingtonian.", "edition": "01", "page": "p2", "byline": ""}
{"character_count": 1611, "word_count": 284, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9387000203132629], "ccnet_perplexity": [2242.39990234375], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
The public, or national festivals of Chi
ma are various, and regularly observed
throughout the empire; particularly the
two first days of the year, which are cele-
brated with feasting, music, dancing, play
ing, comedies, and other diversions, and
with sending Of presents to their friends
and patrons. This solemn time, which,
among the great ones, lasts from the end
Of the twelfth moon Uf the last, to about
the twentieth of the first moon of the new
year, is properly their vacation; during
which all busines ceases, all the tribunal.
are shut up, the posts suspended through
out the empire, and the generality of ths
people spend their time in rejoicing, an.
all sorts of diversions.


The most solemn and pompous part o
this festivlty begins on the l 5th DAY of tn
same first moon, and is, by the Chinese
styled the feast of the lanthorns.-It i
commonly ushered in at court, and tn
capital of Picking pretty late on the pre-
ceding night, by the ringing Of large bell
the first sound which is no sooner hear'
than it is accompanied by whole vellie
If cannon, from the palace and city ran
parts, tine beating Of large kettle-drum
The sound of tsumpets, and variety {
other instruments. The same notice
given in all other parts of the empire, e.
peciaIly the great cities, about the sam
time, and much in the same way, the Cal
non excepted. Immediately upon whicl
they every where kindle such vast nun
bers of fires, hang up such infinite nur
brrs of lanthorns, and play off such v
riety of fireworks, some representing ca
tles, towers. ships, dragons, elephant
.,arses. fishes, aud other creatures, that Il