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ICHANG-CHUNGKING
德立 Lih-teh
LITTLE & Co., ARCHD., Merchants
Arch. Little (Chungking)
Liu Chun Ching
Agencies
North China Insurance Company
Mannheimer Versicherungs Ges.
POST OFFICE-IMPERIAL CHINESE
Asst. Postal Officer-J. A. Urquhart
堂主天 Tien-choo-tang
ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION
Right Rev. Fr. Benjamin Christiaens
Bishop tit. of Colophon and Vicar
Aposto ic of Southern Hupeh
Rev. Fr. IGiovanni Franzoni, provicar
Rev. Fr. Gabriel van Gestel Rev. Fr. Laurentius Fuchs Rev. Cassianus Kleinenbroch Rev. Marcellus Sterkendries Rev. Polidorus Verkrusse Rev. Victorinus Delbrouck
Rev. Theotimus Verhaegen
Rev. Gratien Laurant
堂母聖
Chen-mou-tang
Rev. Seurs Franciscaines
Rev. Mère Marie Béatrix, superieure.
and eight Sisters
SWEDISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY
Rev. K. W. and Mrs. Engdahl
Rev. K. Axel and Mrs. Fernström
t
1
CHUNGKING
慶重 Chung-king
The city of Chungking, situated in lat. 29 deg. 33 min. 30 sec. N. long., 107 deg. 2 min. E., may well be described as not only the commercial capital of Szechuen, but of the whole of Western China. The foreign import trade centres here, and is then distributed by a smaller class of trading junks up the various rivers of the province. All exports-yellow silk, white wax, hides, leather, feathers, bristles, rhubarb, musk, opium, and the large assortment of Chinese medicines-are received, assorted, repacked, and shipped to Ichang, Hankow, and Shasi, consignments to the latter port being. transhipped there into smaller junks, and forwarded to the southern provinces, ma the Tung Ting lake.
The city occupies the end of a high and rocky bluff forming a peninsula, at the junction of the river Kia-ling with the Yangtsze, 1,400 miles from the mouth of the latter. The principal streets of the city, in which are many fine shops, are on the side of the Yangtsze. It is surrounded by a crenelated stone wall in good repair, which is some five miles in circumference, pierced with nine gates. This wall was built in 1761, replacing an older one. The climate of Chungking is depressing, the summerd being hot and damp, the winters raw and chilly, with thick fogs from November to March. Spring and autumn can indeed hardly be said to exist. The ordinary rise of the river is about 70 feet; in 1892 it rose 96 feet, and in 1897 to 101 feet, the water not being able to force its way fast enough through the gorges. An extraordinary landslip occurred in September, 1896, some distance below Chungking, which formes a dangerous rapid and greatly interfered with traffic on the river. On the left bank of the Kia-ling and facing Chungking, extending below the junction of the two rivers, is the walled city of Kiang-Peh-ting, formerly within the district of Li Min Fu, but now incorporated in Chungking Fu. These two cities and the large villages in their immediate neighbourhood are estimated to contain a ponulation of about 300.000. The port was declared open to Foreign trade in March, 1891, but business did not actually commence until the 18th June, since which date a large trade has been done both in imports and exports, carried in foreign chartered junks. The net value of the trade for 1897 was Tls. 17,971,376, for 1896 Tls. 13,131,569, and for 1895 Tls. 13,253,772. The Yangtsze is navigable for steamers from Ichang, not only to Chungking, but as far as Suchau-fu, where the Min river joins the Yangtsze, but up to 1898, steamers were not allowed to ascend above Ichang. By the Japanese treaty of 1894, however, the right of steam navigation to Chungking was secured, and in the spring of 1898 the voyage was successfully accomplished by Mr. A. Little with the steamer Leechuen.