L. Newton Hayes, The Chinese Dragon

The dragon staircase and the spirit way

The photograph shows an inclined carved slab occupying the central route up a staircase. Hayes calls the route a spirit way and associates the pictured stone with the Temple of Heaven at Peking. He explains its ceremonial purpose through the belief that the spirit being honoured travels along it during worship. The image makes a distinction between the steps used by people and the carved central passage described in the caption.