MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU
自 蒙 Mêng-sa
This is a district city in south-east Yunnan, and togetlier with Man-lao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about six days' from the frontier of Tonkin at Laokay, and beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau 20 miles long by about 12 miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque mountains, and is 4,280 feet above the level of the sea. It has a Chinese population of 38,562, but was a place of much more importance before the Maliommedan rebellion, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreign goods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtsz on the 30th April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August.
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TRADE IN 1931
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Notwithstanding the introduction of the new Import Tariff and of a con- sumption tax schedule with rates ranging from 2 to 17 per cent. coming on top of the lowered purchasing power of silver, business opened briskly at Mengtsz in 1931 owing to quietude in the local political arena and a pause in bandit activities. In March dissension amongst the military leaders brought about the retirement for a time of the chairman of the provincial government, General Lung Yun, upon whose evacuation the city of Yunnanfu was taken possession of peacefully by the four recalcitrant generals. latter, finding, it is said, that the administration of the province was be- yond their capabilities, however. soon requested General Lung to return, which he did. Both Mengtsz and Yunnanfu suffered from a drought that lasted from November 1930 till well past the middle of 1931. Fortunately its effects were confined to these two districts and Kokiu, where it hindered the production of tin. The Tatun Lake west of Pishihchai completely dried Political unrest occurred again in April and martial law was declared in Yunnanfu, all incoming trains being searched by the military. The bandits having been suppressed for the time being, the second half of the year was peaceful and trade began to show signs of life, only to be hampered again by the boycott of Japanese goods and the stoppage of all commercial dealings with Japan. Towards the end of the year several large Chinese con- cerns had to close down, being unableto meet their financial obligations. The Lad exchange placed the price of foreign goods in general beyond the reach of consumers, and cheap merchandise of good appearance from Japan was very popular and appeared specially to meet the taste and the purse of the people of Yunnan, easily holding the lead in foreign imports in the first half of the year. The value of imports from foreign countries decreased by 5 million Haikwan taels and exports abroad by 4.3 million taels. Domestic trade benefited to some extent by the decline in the foreign trade of the port. As a result of the high cost of foreign matches, another match factory, in addition to the three already in existence, started operations at Yunnanfu during 1931. A new towel factory was started at Mengtsz, and a few more small weaving factories came into existence. Slow but steady progress is being made in road-building.
The net value of the trade of the port in 1931 was Hk. Tls. 26,402,306 as compared with Hk. Tls. 29,153,530 in 1930, Hk. Tls. 25,146,031 in 1929 and Hk. Tls. 27,789,669 in 1928. The Chinese merchants avail themselves largely of the advantages offered by the transit pass system. The value of the trade of the Yunnanfu, Pishihchai, Hokow, Mapai and Manhao branch offices is in- cluded in the Mengtze Custom returns.
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The climate of Mengtsz is temporate and salubrious. Plague has been absent from Mengtsz since 1899. During the winter good sport is obtained, snipe and wild fowl being abundant in the plains and some pheasant and partridge in the hilly districts.