782
CHANGSHA-ICHANG
POST OFFICE (Hunan Postal District Head
Office)
Commissioner-Ho Joo Yum
Deputy do. Tu Chia Hua
District Accountant-Chang Chen Tze
利嘉
SCHNABEL, GAUMER & Co., Importers and Exporters-Tel. Ad: Antimon; Codes: Bentley's and A.B.C. 5th and 6th edns.
A. Brauer, signs per pro.
L. Jensen
Agencies
Reinsurance Co. Rossia of Copenhagen
李美
STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW YORK
YALE IN CHINA, COLLEGE OF (temporarily
closed, 1927-28)
Field Representative-D. H. Leavens, treasurer (Bickerton's Hotel, 76, Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai)
ICHANG
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 Yang tsze, about 363 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 and has in recent years been rendered easier by the labours of the Customs River Department, which has marked every crossing and established numerous aids to navigation. 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 Shiasi. The importance of Ichang is chiefly that of an emporium for goods in transit to and from Chungking. Most of the cargo for the latter port is landed here and transferred to steamers or chartered junks. In the ame 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 1926, the steamers plying between Ichang and Chungking consisted of the Chichuen, Chilai, Chinan, Chiping, Chiyung, Iling, Iping, Lighter No. 89, Lighter No. 90, Meichuen, Meitan, under the American flag; the Fuhwo, Kiating, Kiawo, Kingwo, Shukwang, Shutung, Tienkwang, Wanhsien, Wanliu, Wantung and Fushun under the British flag; the Fooklai, Fooktung, Fookyuen, Hsin Shutung, Kiangking, Shuhun, Tingyuan, Yungan and Yungfung, under the French flag; the Changtah, Changyuin, Fuhhsing, Ichang, Pingfu, Pinghuo, Shuhuo, Yukiang, Chiahsin, Chiayang, Dookiang and l'ienhsi under the Italian flag; the Iyang Maru, Tehyang Maru and Yunyang Maru under the Japanese flag; and the Foochuen and Shunan under the Swedish flag; Steam navigation is now practicable for the larger vessels from the middle of April to the end of November and for the smaller vessels throughout the year. 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 have been for some years 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. There has never been a census of the native population, but it is computed to be about 60,000.