The ceremony of opening the soil at the beginning of the year, at which the emperor officiates, originated two thousand years ago.

Farms are small,--of one or two acres,--and each family raises on its farm all that it consumes.

Silk and cotton are cultivated and manufactured in families, each man spinning, weaving, and dyeing his own web.

In the manufacture of porcelain, on the contrary, the division of labor is carried very far.

The best is made at the village of Kiangsee, which contains a million of inhabitants.