ICHANG
昌宜 I-Chang
Ichang is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877, in accordance with Clause 1, Section 3, of the Chefoo Convention. It is situated in lat. 30° 43.4 N., long, 111° 12.8 E., on the north bank of the river Yangtsze, about 393 miles above Hankow, and some five miles below the entrance to the great Ichang Gorge, or just about 1,000 miles from the coast. The navigation of the river to this port is comparatively easy for vessels of light draught, but great care is necessary for all vessels when in the neighbourhood of Sunday Island, owing to the shiftings and banks. The anchorage is off the left bank, opposite the foreign residences, and is good, except in freshets, when the anchors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the productions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordi- nary wood oil is obtained by pressing the nuts gathered from the trees. In the sheltered valleys, amongst the mountain ranges west of the city, oranges, lemons, pomeloes, pears, plums, and a very superior quality of persimmons are grown, and find a ready market in the city and at Shasi. The importance of Ichang is chiefly that of an emporium for goods in transit to and from Chungking. All cargo for the latter port is landed here and transferred to steamers or chartered junks. In the same way cargo brought down in steamers or chartered junks from Chungking and intended for the lower river and coast ports, is transhipped here on steamers, which make regular voyages to and from Hankow. During the year 1923 the steamers plying between Ichang and Chungking consisted of the Kikin, Shuhun, Hsin Shutung, Kiangking, and Fookyuan, under the French flag; the Meitan, Alice Dollar, Robert Dollar II, and Meiren, under the American flag; the Loongmow, Anlan, Wanhsien, and Fuhwo, under the British flag; the Yunyang, Iyang and Tehyang, under the Japanese flag; and the Aning, Ankong, Ilsiakiang, The Sui and Dah Var, under the Chinese flag. Steam navigation is usually practicable from the iniddle of April until the middle of December. The rates for foreign passengers vary considerably by the different vessels, but all are much higher than on the lower Yangtsze. In view of the enhanced traffic, aids to navigation and rules of the road through the gorges have become urgent, and are now being undertaken by the Government, with two River Inspectors functioning between Chungking and Ichang. The upward voyage to Chungking now takes four days, and the return trip about two days. The survey of the railway to Chengtu has been completed, but construction has been delayed in consequence of the great European war. There has never been a census of the native population, but it is computed to be about 40,000.
The net value of the trade of the port in 1922 was Hk. Tls. 8,917,736, as compared with Hk. Tls. 4,341,809 in 1921, and Hk. Tls. 9,154,066 in 1920. The place was looted by soldiers on November 30th, 1920, and a similar and more serious outrage was suffered on June 4th, 1921. For 23 days in September, 1921, also, Ichang was the scene of a battle between Southern and Northern forces. As if this were not enough, on July 16th the Yangtsze, rising to 51 ft. 7 in., burst through the dyke protecting the eastern suburb, submerging that section, with heavy damage to property.