WEIHAIWEI
707
flag was formally hoisted, the Commissioners representing their respective countries at the ceremony being Consul Hopkins, of Chefoo, and Captain King-Hall, of H.M.S. Narcissus, for Great Britain, and Taotai Yen and Captain Lin, of the Chinese war vessel Foochi, for China. Weihaiwei was leased to Great Britain "for so long a period as Port Arthur shall remain in the occupation of Russia," and was regarded by the British Government as a sanatorium for the British squadron on the China station. At the Washington Conference in 1921 Great Britain offered to return the territory to China, and during the latter part of 1922 an Anglo-Chinese Commission met to deal with the questions arising out of this. These questions included arrangements for the use of the port by the British Fleet as a summer station, provisions for the safety of foreign residents, and the representation of foreign residents in the administration. of the territory. In the latter part of 1923, the conditions under which H.B.M. Government were prepared to hand back the territory to China were published, but up to the end of 1924 agreement had not been reached.
The leased territory, which lies in latitude 37 deg. 30 min. N, longitude 122 deg. 10 min. E, comprises the Island of Liu Kung, all the islands in the Bay of Weihaiwei, and a belt of land 10 English miles wide along the entire coastline, and consists of ranges of rugged mountains and rocky hills up to 1,500 feet high, dividing the plains into valleys and river beds. The island of Liu Kung, once barren and nearly treeless but now verdant and picturesque as the result of a system of afforestation inaugurated in 1910, is formed by a backbone of hills rising to some 500 feet. The hillsides on the main- land, of which Port Edward is the chief port, are either barren rock or planted with dwarf pine and scrub oak trees. The valleys are mostly undulating country full of gullies and mountain river-beds; the streams are all torrential and choke up the valleys witli sand and débris from the hills. During three-quarters of the year these river-beds are dry. All the hills are terraced for cultivation as far as possible. The total area of the leased territory is about 285 square miles.
The strata of the mountains are metamorphic, consisting of beds of quartzite, gneiss, crystalline, and limestone, cut across by dykes of volcanic rock and granite. Gold is found in the territory and has been worked by the Chinese, and silver, tin, lead, and iron are said to exist. Good building-stone and a rich non-hydraulic limestone are found. The territory contains some 330 villages, and the population, as shown by the census taken in 1921, is 154,416. There are four small market towns, where fairs. are held every five days.
The Chinese inhabitants are either fishermen or farmers, and are a peaceful, law-abiding folk. The chief export trade is in salt fish, salt and saltpetre, ground- nuts, ground-nut oil, sasson, silk and silk hosiery. The import trade chiefly con- sists of timber, firewood, and maize from Manchuria, paper, crockery, sugar, tobacco,. kerosene oil, cotton yarn, piece goods, liquid indigo, synthetic dyes, flour, grains and wines (Chinese).
The Government of Weihaiwei up to the time of writing is administered by a Commissioner appointed under the Weihaiwei Order-in-Council of the 24th July, 1901. Under this Order the Commissioner is empowered to make Ordinances for the administration of the territory. The village communities are administered through their headmen in accordance with Chinese laws and usages. All purely civil matters. are left as much as possible to the village headmen.
Weihaiwei is now a fairly regular port of call for many China coasting steamers sailing northwards from Shanghai, and there is a regular weekly service subsidised by Government to run all the year, carrying mails and passengers between Shanghai and Weihaiwei. This enables the public to reach Weihaiwei via Shanghai at any time of the year. The harbour is well lighted by two lighthouses at the eastern and western entrances. The climate of Weihaiwei is exceptionally good,. and the winter, though cold, is dry and bracing. A European school has been established for many years to which boys from other treaty ports, Hongkong, etc., are sent. A land and building society, formed in Shanghai, has erected several commodious. European bungalows. There is a large hotel on the mainland capable of accom- modating over 100 people, and also a hotel on the Island with accommodation for 50 to 60 people. Both on the mainland and on the island good roads have been made round the coast by the local Government for the convenience of foreigners, and there are recreation and parade. grounds in both places. In addition to the leased territory there is a zone of influence over which Great Britain 'holds certain rights. It comprises that portion of the province of Shantung lying East of the meridian 12.40 extending over an area of 1,500 square miles.