Directory_and_Chronicle_1903

WONSAN (GENSAN OR YUENSAN) 山元 Yuen-san

This port, situated in Broughton Bay, on the north-eastern coast of Corea, is in the southern corner of the province of South Ham-kiung, about half way between Fusan and Vladivostock. It was opened to Japanese trade on the 1st May, 1880, and to other nations in November, 1883. It is called Gensan by the Japanese and Yuensan by the Chinese. The native town has grown considerably since the port was opened to trade, and contains now a population of fully 20,000 inhabitants. The town is built along the southern shore of the bay, and through it runs the main road which leads from Seoul to the Tumen river. Markets are held five times a month for the sale of agricultural produce and Foreign imports. The Custom House is situated in the heart of the Foreign Settlements about a mile distant from the Native town. The Japanese have a well-kept settlement containing about 200 houses, with 1,500 inhabitants. The Chinese number 120, and the European and American residents about 30. The harbour is a good one, being spacious, easy of access, well sheltered, with excellent holding ground, and convenient depth of water. January is the coldest month, and one corner of the harbour-that before the native town-is sometimes frozen over, but the part used by shipping is never covered with ice of such a thickness as to interfere with navigation. The country around Wonsan is under cultivation, and the soil is very rich. Within a short distance of the port are mines producing copper and other minerals, and gold is found amongst the neighbouring mountains. The cattle at the port, as nearly all over the country, are very fine and plentiful, and can be bought at very low rates; they are used as beasts of burden and for agricultural purposes and are largely exported to Vladivostock for food purposes. A telegraph line from hence to Seoul was opened in July, 1891, and has been extended northwards to within 100 li of the Russian frontier.

Trade is carried on by regular lines of steamers running to Japan, Shanghai, and Vladivostock. The imports from foreign countries in 1901 amounted to Yen 2,089,158 and exports to Yen 944,937. The value of imports from Native ports was Yen 475,494 and the exports to native ports Yen 626,695. The net total value of the trade in 1901 was Yen 3,986,706 as compared with Yen 3,385,533 in 1900, Yen 2,989,587 in 1899, Yen 2,971,297 in 1898, Yen 3,071,726 in 1897, Yen 1,411,898 in 1896. The exports consist chiefly of beans, cattle, dried fish, gold-dust, whale-flesh and skins. The value of gold- dust exported abroad in 1901 was Yen 1,668,245, not included in the exports of merchandise. Imports consist chiefly of cotton and silk manufactured goods, cotton wadding, metals and kerosene oil.

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