a city of China, in the province of KIANG-NAN. It is situated on a mountain, which hangs over the Yellow river, and encloses with its walls several fertile little hills. Its jurisdiction is very extensive: for it comprehends 18 cities; five of which are of the second, and 13 of the third class. As this was the birth-place of the emperor Hong-you, chief of the preceding dynasty, this prince formed a design of rendering it a famous and magnificent city, in order to make it the seat of empire. After having expelled the Western Tartars, who had taken possession of China, he transferred his court hither, and named the city Fong yang; that is to say, "The Place of the Eagle's Splendour." His intention, as we have said, was to beautify and enlarge it; but the inequality of the ground, the scarcity of fresh water, and above all the vicinity of his father's tomb, made him change his design. By the unanimous advice of his principal officers, this prince established his court at NAN-KING, a more beautiful and commodious place. When he had formed this resolution, a Fong-Yang flop was put to the intended works: the imperial palace which was to have been enclosed by a triple wall, the walls of the city to which a circumference of nine leagues were assigned, and the canals that were begun, all were abandoned; and nothing was finished, but three monuments that still remain. The extent and magnificence of these sufficiently show what the beauty of this city would have been, had the emperor pursued his original design. The first is the tomb of the father of Hong-you, to decorate which no expense was spared; it is called Hoan-lin, or the Royal Tomb. The second is a tower built in the middle of the city, which is of an oblong form, and 100 feet high. The third is a magnificent temple erected to the god Fo. At first it was only a pagod, to which Hong-you retired after having lost his parents, and where he was admitted as an inferior domestic; but having soon become weary of this kind of life, he enlisted with the chief of a band of banditti, who had revolted from the Tartars. As he was bold and enterprising the general made choice of him for his son-in-law; soon after he was declared his successor by the unanimous voice of the troops. This new chief feeling himself at the head of a large party, had the presumption to carry his views to the throne. The Tartars, informed of the progress of his arms, sent a numerous army into the field; but he surprised and attacked them with so much impetuosity, that they were obliged to fly; and, though they several times returned to the charge, they were still defeated, and at length driven entirely out of China. As soon as he mounted the throne, he caused the superb temple which we have mentioned to be raised out of gratitude to the Bonzes, who had received him in his distress, and assigned them a revenue sufficient for the maintenance of 300 persons, under a chief of their own feet, whom he constituted a mandarin, with power of governing them, independent of the officers of the city. This pagod was supported as long as the preceding dynasty lasted; but that of the Eastern Tartars, which succeeded, suffered it to fall to ruin.

FONG-Choui, the name of a ridiculous superstition among the Chinese. See CHINA, No 105.