| 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 |
