Hugh | Ashton | British botanist |
| Bao | Niece of the innkeeper, a maid at the mansion |
Lady | Chen | Tulishen's consort in Dayan, native of Snow Village |
Kalden | Dorjee | Khampa leader of the caravan |
Li | Du | Traveling scholar, former librarian in the Forbidden City, in exile |
Mu | Gao | Caretaker of Tulishen's library |
Mu | Gao | Caretaker of the magistrate's library |
Sir Nicholas | Gray | Foreign merchant from the English East India Company bringing gifts for the Emperor, staying at the Dayan magistrate's estate |
| Hamza | Traveling storyteller |
| Hoh | Innkeeper in Dayan, uncle of a maid at the magistrate's mansion |
Jia | Huan | Tulishen's secretary |
Old | Mu | Clerk at the Office of City Records, cousin of Mu Gao |
| Norbu & Yonzheng | Couple traveling with the Tibetan Khampa caravan |
| Tulishen | Magistrate of Dayan, cousin of Li Du, formerly named Li Erfeng |
Brother Pieter | Van Dalen | Talkative Jesuit, guest at Tulishen's estate, astronomer |
Brother Martin | Walpole | Young priest also at Dayan, botanist |
Doctor | Yang | Doctor who attended Van Dalen's death, horticulturist |