NANKING
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From the 5th or 6th century B.C. to the present there has been a walled city at this place. Nanking was specified in the French Treaty of 1858 as one of the Yangtsze ports to be opened to trade, but was not formally opened until May, 1899.
Nanking is situated on the south bank of the Yangtsze, 45 miles beyond Chinkiang and 205 from Shanghai. From the river little can be seen of it except the long line of lofty grey brick walls which encircle it. The walls have an elevation varying from 40 to 90 feet, are from 20 to 40 feet in thickness, and 22 miles in circumference. They enclose a vast area, a large portion of which is wilderness or cultivated land. The inhabited portion lies towards the south and west, and is several miles from the banks of the river. Whatever of architectural beauty or importance belonged to Nanking perished or was reduced to a ruinous condition at or before its occupation by the Taiping rebels. The world famous Porcelain Tower, the most beautiful pagoda in China, was completely destroyed during this period of its history, and now only broken and scattered bricks remain of the structure that was once the glory of Nanking. It stood outside the walls on the south side of the city. The celebrated mausoleum of the Emperor Hung Wu, founder of the Ming dynasty (who died in 1398), with other tombs and monuments known as the Ming Tombs, are just outside the eastern walls. There are many other interesting ruins in or near the city, including the remains of Hung Wu's Palace. Nanking was first brought into notice among Europeans in 1842, in which year the first British Treaty with China was signed here. During the Taiping rebellion no place suffered more. It was first taken by assault by the Taipings on the 19th March, 1853, and after sustaining a prolonged siege was recaptured by the Imperial forces on the 19th July, 1864, a fatal blow to the rebels.
Although Nanking has recovered to a small extent from the prostration which attended its ill-treatment during the rebellion, it has never yet attained any commercial importance, but the Commissioner of the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs in his report for 1900 predicts a brilliant future for the port if the railway schemes are carried out. He says: "A new and brilliant era should dawn
account of its excellent position as a terminus for the railway the port of Nanking, on lways which will bring down the immense mineral and other wealth of the provinces of Anhwei, Honan, and Shansi. The distance from either Honan or Shansi is about the same to Nanking as to Hankow, and the engineering difficulties of a railway down to the river opposite Nanking are no greater than those of a line to Hankow. The great advantage, then, which should secure to Nanking its position as the outlet for these rich provinces is the fact of its being so much nearer the sea than Hankow and accessible to the deepest draught ocean vessels at all seasons of the year. It is therefore only natural that a line should have been projected from the mineral fields of Shansi to the village of P'u-k'ou, on the other side of the river to Nanking, as mentioned in the 1899 Trade Report. Yet another line, from the mineral district of Hsin-yan (f), in Honan, through Anhwei, with its terminus at P'u-k'ou, is also in contemplation. These two lines, if built, should revolutionise commercial conditions at Nanking, while the line from Shanghai to Nanking should also give an impetus to commercial life." A Naval College was opened there in 1890, for which a large pile of buildings was erected. A dozen teachers and instructors are employed, including three foreigners. The Nanking Uni- versity was founded in 1888 by the Central China Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now an imposing and well-appointed school, with a roll of 158 scholars. The Arsenal and Powder Mills, for many years in charge of foreigners, are now entrusted to native direction. They are situated just outside the South Gate. The Kiangnan Mint was closed in June in consequence of financial difficulties, but the events in North China created a sudden demand for dollars, and it was reopened, and turned out 20,000 to 49,500 dollars a day until the market was choked. It then closed again and the English superintendent left. The missionaries support three hospitals and a number of schools. A macadamized road has been built from the steamer landing clear through the city to the Tung-Tsi Gate in the south wall, a distance of eight miles. The carriages and jinrickshas which have been introduced are much appreciated by the people, and it is proposed to construct similar roads to other parts of the city. British, American and German consulates were opened in 1900. As the seat of the viceregal government, and by virtue of its historic associations, Nanking is of importance, and will, no doubt, now that it has been opened to foreign trade, regain a degree of its lost prestige. The net value of the trade of the port for 1901 was Tls. 4,620,077, against Tls. 3,868,595 in 1900 and Tls. 2,396,153 in 1899.
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