KIAOCHAU--TSINANFU
VON Duering, WIBEL & Co., Merchants
Agency
Sander, Wieler & Co.
中立
Li-zung
WALTHER, J. Geo., Merchant
J. Walther
Agency
W. Pactou
Knuth
The Netherlands Fire Ins. Co. of 1845
WEBER, P., Baugeschaft
WEBER, J., Butcher
禮衞 Wai-le
WINCKLER & Co. G. m. b. H. Merchants
P. Küss
E. Staeber
E. Ackermann R. Treuke
WOLF, F., Gartnerei
821
WUNSCH, D., med. prakt. arzt.-Tsingtao:
Prinz Heinrichstrasse
ZIMMERMANN & Co., M., Importers and
Exporters
TSINANFU
Tsinan (or Chinan, as it is sometimes written), the capital of the province of Shantung, has the distinction of being the first city in the Chinese Empire in which a Foreign Commercial Settlement was voluntarily opened by the Government of China. The date of its inauguration was January 10th, 1906. The city of Tsinan lies at the foot of a range of hills (Lat. 36° 50′ N; Long. 117° E), and has a gradual slope from south to north. Situated in the south-west suburb are magnificent springs giving forth many tons of water per minute, and the streams from these natural fountains flow through the city to a lake situated on the north side. This abundance of water tends to make Tsinan one of the cleanest as well as one of the healthiest cities in the Empire. The population is computed to number about 300,000, about one-twentieth of whom profess the Mohammedan faith. In an address delivered on the occasion of the inauguration of the Foreign Settlement, the Governor of Shantung described Tsinan as occupying a pivotal position with respect to northern and southern China and as being on the main route from Kaifeng Fu to the Yellow Sea. "An immense development," he declared, "must therefore await this Settlement, and though it may never equal the largest commercial centres of Europe and America, yet it may well hope to enter into rivalry with them." A number of foreigners and foreign institutions are establishing themselves in the Settlement, including the German Consul and staff, the Deutsch Asiatische Bank, Messrs Carlowitz & Co., Schwarzkopf & Co., Gutend & Co., and others; while lots have already been reserved for Messrs. Diederichsen, Jebsen & Co., a Japanese Consulate, the Yokohama Specie Bank, and the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha. Many Chinese houses have been built and more are in course of erection in the Settlement. The Tientsin-Pukou Railway Co. has acquired a large piece of ground in the Settlement, and is building offices and dwelling-houses for members of the Staff
thereon.
Tsinanfu is connected by rail with Tsingtau (Kiaochau), distance 412 kilometers, and by canal with Yang Chiao Kou, on the Gulf of Chihli, distance 146 miles, whence there are occasional steamers to Chefoo. The Shantung Railway in 1906 carried 846,840 passengers and 381,649 tons of goods as against 803,527 and 310,480 respectively in the previous year, and the income rose from $1,912,296 to $2,168,897 with an increase of less than $1,400 in expenses ($911,737 against $910,382). The line paid a dividend of 4 per cent. In 1907 it carried 896,027 passengers and 409,430 tons of goods; and the income rose to $2,359,185, of which $1,018,268 went in working ex- penses. A dividend of 4 per cent. was paid. For 1908, the gross receipts rose to $2,59,910, while the working expenses only totalled $799,652; but, owing to loss on exchange, the dividend remained the same as the previous year. Tsinan stands five miles south of the Huang-ho or Yellow River, and in spite of some difficulties of naviga- tion, there is a considerable junk traffic between its river port of Lo-kou and the Grand anal, which enters the river eighty miles higher up. This trade is almost if not quite, entirely with the south, to Chining-chou and beyond, since the canal from the Huangho northward to Lin-ching-chou has been unnavigable for several years. The high road from Tsinan to the north crosses the Huang-ho by ferry at Chi-ho Hsien, distant Pukou the commercial prospects of Tsinan will be brightened.
When railway communication is established with Tientsin and with
sixteen miles.