"July 22nd, sunny day."

"After our entire mission set off from Tomsk, we trekked all the way and finally arrived at a city called Murgoqin Uluse (near today's Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia). This place should still belong to the Mongolian territory, and the cities are all built

It is square in shape, with a tall tower-shaped tower built at each corner. Below the tower is a gray

Colored stone, with bricks laid on top, the city gate is arched, similar to our Russian city gate. In the tower above the city gate, there is a stone weighing 20 poods (one of the main units of measurement in Russia during the Tsarist period, and a unit of weight).

, 1 pood = 40 Russian pounds ≈ 16.38 kilograms) bronze alarm bell, the tower is made of brick."

"The Mongolian courtyards are also made of bricks and are square. The walls of the courtyard are very high. The houses in the courtyard are not high, but the ceilings of the houses are painted with flowers and plants of various colors. The four walls of the houses are also decorated with patterns of various colors.

, it’s really unforgettable.”

"There are two brick lamaseries. The temples in this place are all wedge-shaped. The temple doors face the southeast. There are not crosses on the top of the temples, but some small stone animals carved on stone. I don't know what kind of animals they are. And the scene inside the temple

Strange: As soon as you enter the temple gate, you are greeted by

There are three huge female Buddha statues sitting in front of it. The Buddha statues are as high as two and a half sand ropes (Russian length unit, 1 sand rope = 2.13 meters). The Buddha statues are close to the gold box from head to toe and are sitting on the stone beasts that are one sand rope high.

The stone beasts are decorated with patterns of various colors.”

"These Buddha statues all hold small bottles filled with liquid in their hands, and there are long-lasting candles made of butter burning in front of them. There are 8 Buddha statues on the right side of the temple hall, all of which are men, and 8 Buddha statues on the left side.

, all of them are images of young girls, plated with gold from head to toe, with their hands stretched forward, as if they want to salute, just like Mongolians salute to Buddha statues

There are two lifelike naked Buddha statues standing next to the three big Buddhas. From a distance, they can look fake and real, and you can't tell whether they are clay sculptures or real people. Thin candles are burning in front of these Buddha statues, as thin as wheat straw, and they only appear.

There was no flame in the smoke. When chanting sutras in the temple, two huge trumpets were played, as long as a sand rope and half as long."

"As soon as the trumpet is blown and the drums are played, people will fall to their knees, first clasping their hands, then spreading them apart, and then prostrate themselves on the ground, maintaining this posture for about half an hour. If you walk into the temple while chanting, it will make people feel uncomfortable.

It feels extremely scary, there is an astonishing atmosphere here.”

"The Mongolian men here are extremely unhygienic, just like the Cossacks after months of exploration, but the women are extremely clean, and appear passionate and unrestrained."

"What's surprising is that there should be many tall and fine horses growing on the large grasslands here, but everywhere you look, they are all extremely short horses, far inferior to the tall and powerful horses in Europe. However, there are

There are many mules and donkeys for hauling goods and riding for the people in this area.”

"July 29th, sunny day."

"It took less than 6 days on horseback to get from the Mongolian camp to the Chinese border. Oh, God, what appears in front of all of us in the mission is a huge city wall that extends infinitely to both sides. Looking at the end, it seems that we can't see it.

The border. Each of us was shocked by what we saw."

"This huge fortification, which the Chinese call the Great Wall, is almost entirely made of bricks and stones. We calculated that there are about 100 piers and abutments on both sides of the Great Wall. It is said that there are still more piers and abutments from the sea to Bukhara.

Countless, the distance between every two piers is about one

The range of arrows... The Chinese say that the Great Wall used to be the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, and there were many piers and abutments on the Great Wall because once an enemy approached the border, we would light beacon fires on those piers and abutments to keep our people

Assemble and take your places on the city wall and on the piers."

“… After passing through the boundary of the city wall, we entered the Chinese city of Syrackal (today’s Zhangjiakou). There were five door openings under the city’s tower. The city door openings were so low that you had to lean down to pass when riding a horse. Except for this gate, there is no other entrance on the boundary of the Great Wall. People from all over the world enter Syrackalga through this pass."

"The city is built of stone... The city is gorgeous, the industry is prosperous, the towers are very high, similar to Moscow, there are cannons on the windows and at the gates, the cannons are short, there are many small weapons, gates, towers, walls There were soldiers guarding the city. When the sun went down, three cannons were fired three times, and then the drums were beaten. At three o'clock in the night, the drums were beaten again. At dawn, three cannons were fired again, and the city gate was closed until six o'clock in the morning."

"There are many stone shops in the city, painted with various colors and painted with various flowers and plants. There are many kinds of goods in the shops. There are also many restaurants and taverns next to the shops in the city. The taverns have all kinds of liquor, and there are There are many drunkards and prostitutes. There are also some stone prisons on both sides of the road. They hang thieves, behead robbers in public, and chop off the hands of those who forge documents."

"August 1st, cloudy day."

"It takes one day to ride a horse from Xilakalga to Xila (Xuanhua), another city in China. Xila City is also built of stone, with towering and majestic city walls. It is said that it takes two days to circle the city on horseback. There are 12 towers, and the windows of the towers are There are cannons and many small weapons on both sides of the city gate. There are guards guarding the gates and towers day and night. The city has 5 gates for entering the city. The gates are tall and wide, made of iron, and covered with cloth. It was full of iron nails, and there were cannons mounted beside the city gates, and there were many stone cannonballs.”

"It takes half a day to enter from one city gate and walk through the whole city to the other city gate...Business in the city is more prosperous than in the previous city, there are more vegetables and fruits, and there are so many pedestrians in the morning."

"The houses for the members of our mission are outside the city and are made of stone. The wells are made of gray stone, and the tops of the wells are surrounded by copper plates. This city is better and more beautiful than the previous one, with various exquisite decorations. There are sentries standing in the government offices, armed with various weapons, and the drums they beat are very similar to Russian barrels.

We were temporarily suspended in this city to continue our journey, waiting for their emperor in Chinatown (Beijing) to issue an edict. After receiving permission, we can continue to move forward to see their emperor. However, there are things for our daily life here. Everything we need is in abundance, which somewhat eases our anxiety about staying here.”

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"August 29th, sunny day.

On this day, our delegation received a notice from the local government, allowing them to leave and continue to their capital. The Qing Kingdom sent a group of about 500 armed soldiers to accompany the escort, led by two generals. This is our first When I had a close encounter with the country's army, they seemed relatively taciturn. Each of them was emaciated, and all of them were equipped with cold weapons such as spears and swords.

These officers and soldiers wear military uniforms of two colors, and it is said that they belong to different organizations. The officers wear armor and stomach, with white satin as the surface material, plain lining cloth, sleeveless, with a layer of iron in the middle and brass nails on the outside. . Red piece of gold, two layers of azure edges, one python embroidered on the front body and one back body, lotus pattern embroidered on the blank space, three layers of iron lining on the body, and a helmet with a high peak on the head.

The equipment of ordinary soldiers is relatively simple, and their large uniforms and thin figures seem a bit inappropriate. However, their eyes are sharp and their manners are measured. They should be a very well-trained army.

However, during the lunch break, these Chinese soldiers looked a little funny after taking off their military caps and helmets. A long and thin rat braid hung down on the back of their heads. When all the members of our mission saw it, they couldn't help but let out an uncontrollable sigh.

Laughter. Perhaps this move somewhat angered these Chinese soldiers. They looked at us with a terrible murderous look in their eyes, and their attitude became cold.

It takes three days to ride from Xila City to Ya'er (today's Huailai County, Zhangjiakou). This is also a stone city - the Chinese people's city-building craftsmanship is so amazing, they actually built so many stone cities - very magnificent, it is said

It takes a day and a half to ride around the city on horseback. The towers are very large.

There are 4 city gates to enter the city. There are many cannons and muskets at the city towers and gates, and they are guarded by guards, just like the previous city. The cannonballs are made of stone and are bigger than a human head. The city gates are tall and wide, and they are also guarded by guards.

It was covered with iron sheets and densely packed with iron nails.

The market in this city is more lively, with a full range of goods, including a variety of vegetables and other foods. There is no open space in the city, and there are brick and stone courtyards, shops, and cross streets everywhere. Their inns are similar to our Russian ones.

Similar. As soon as you walk into the market, you will smell the fragrance of manna."

"September 4th, sunny.

It takes three days to ride from Yaer City to TEDA City (South Entrance). The city is also built of stone and is tall and majestic. It is said that it takes two days to circle the city on horseback. The city has 5 gates to enter, and the gates are surrounded by

The iron sheet is also covered with densely packed iron nails. The city

The courtyards and shops here are made of bricks and stones. The shops have more products than the previous two cities, including many kinds of vegetables. The tavern sells wine, honey and various foreign drinks. The city gate

There are cannons, cannonballs and guards on both sides and beside the tower.

When the chiefs of this city go out, there are always about 20 guards shouting in front and holding yellow umbrellas for them. The population of this city is also larger than that of the previous cities, and all kinds of valuables, vegetables and rice are everywhere.

Very rich and abundant.”

"September 7th, sunny day.

"After leaving TEDA City, we rode for two days and arrived at Baicheng (Changping). The city was built of bricks and stones and was as white as snow, so we called it Baicheng. The city is majestic and spectacular. It is said that it takes as long as one horse to circle the city.

Three days. Advance

There is a city tower when entering the city, and there are three city gates under the city tower. The city gates are all tall and wide, covered with shiny iron sheets and covered with dense black iron nails. There are many cannons beside the city tower and city gates, each of the cannonballs weighs

Two poods.

The shops in the city are next to each other. The streets between the shops are paved with gray stones, and the shops and courtyards are also made of bricks and stones. There are wooden fences painted in various colors in front of the shops.

There are also brick houses built on it. The roofs of shops and other houses and pavilions are paved.

There are bricks and tiles, and the part under the roof is painted in various colors and painted with patterns; the portraits hanging on the four walls were first painted on paper, and then painted on silk, satin and velvet. And the portraits in the temple

It is made of clay and covered with gold foil from head to toe, making it look very ferocious.

You can visit the temple at will. We saw the scene of collecting donations for the construction of the temple in Baicheng. Three people walked side by side, two of them were knocking wooden fish with wooden sticks, and the other person was carrying the statue on his shoulder and also knocking the wooden fish in his hand. The statue was very

It is large. There is no inscription on the statue, and the painting is excellent. In this city, we also saw parrots and dwarfs, and an eagle.

The falconers of the White City. The variety of goods, precious commodities, vegetables and food in this white city are more abundant than in other cities. When the officials go to the temple or wherever they go, there are always about 20 guards holding spears and 30 people.

Holding sticks in their left and right hands, they opened the way in front. The attendants held large yellow umbrellas for the chief and shouted: 'Oh! Oh!'"

"September 10th, light rain.

"It takes 2 days to travel from Baicheng to Great China City (Beijing), where the emperor of the Qing Dynasty lived. The city is very large, made of stone, gray, and square in shape. It takes 4 days to go around the city. The four corners of the city

There are some tall cities standing

There are also some tall towers standing in the center of the city wall. The towers have flower eaves and are painted in blue and yellow colors. Cannons are mounted on the embrasures of the towers, and cannons are also mounted next to the city gates with cannonballs piled up. Each city gate has

Guarded by 50 guards.

Great China Town is located in a plain. There is a river around the city called Youhe, which flows into the Black Sea (Bohai Sea). It is said that it takes 5-7 days to travel from Great China Town to the sea. Large ships cannot sail under Great China City, and the goods are all

Transported into the city by small boats and sailboats,

There is also a golden city (the Forbidden City) within the Great China City, where the emperor lived. It is said that this city is decorated with various rare treasures, and the imperial palace stands in the center of the golden city. Above the palace is a golden

top.

Our entire mission was arranged in a diplomatic post, waiting to be received by the Qing emperor and their officials in charge of government affairs. I heard our Mongolian translator mention that (China and Russia have language barriers, but both countries are familiar with Mongolian, so

The Russian mission hired some Mongolian translators). The emperor of the Qing Dynasty was only eight years old and had not yet taken charge of the government. The entire country was governed by four highly respected ministers who assisted the left and handled the affairs of the country.

"September 15th, sunny day.

A minister came from the Kingdom of the Qing Dynasty. He rode a short horse and came to the post house surrounded by many well-dressed people. I led several important assistants of the mission in the gorgeously decorated building.

Had the first communication with them.

I told the minister that the great monarch of all Russia, Tsar Alexei Mihayinlovitch, had sent us to China to establish formal diplomatic and commercial relations, and to meet with their emperor to express his sincerity to him.

greeting.

The minister also expressed his welcome to our Russian mission and said that the Qing Emperor agreed to establish friendly diplomatic and commercial relations between the two sides.

However, he pointed out that in Liaodong, the Cossacks belonging to Russia frequently harassed and invaded the local Qing subjects, which seriously damaged and violated the interests of the Qing Dynasty and should be prohibited and restricted.

In response to the minister's questioning, my assistants and I argued that it was because local merchants accidentally strayed into Qing territory while hunting for furs, and there were some unhappiness due to language and communication barriers.

conflict. But on behalf of His Majesty the Tsar, we will try our best to prevent such things from happening again in the future.
To be continued...