SAMSHUI
A467
boon to merchants. This was evidenced by the fact that the number of cargo junks have since increased remarkably. The district city of Samshui itself was once surrounded by an imposing wall built in the 6th year of Chia Ching of the Mings (about A.D. 1560), the year after the place attained to the dignity of a magistracy. "This wall was completely demolished in 1930 and the tract of land obtained thereby was transformed into a circular maloo, and some of the bricks were used for the con- struction of a public garden, known as the Chung Shan Garden, which was formally opened by the Magistrate on the 28th June, 1930. In the town, where dwell the magistrate and the commander of the few local troops, the space is but half occupied by poor dwelling-houses and one small street containing provision shops. Outside the North Gate which has now disappeared stands an imposing temple temp. Chia Ch'ing of the Ch'ing Dynasty (Circa 1800). Between the town and the river is a fine nine-storied pagoda, rebuilt during the reign of Chia Ch'ing, some 100 years ago.
The business focus of the district is Sainam, a large well-built town of no great antiquity, three miles distant, on the creek leading to Fatshan. At Sainam there is established an electric plant which supplies Samshui with light.
Two sets of steamship lines converge here from Canton and Hongkong, respec- tively, and tourists in China can do many worse things than visit the West River which presents more beautiful scenery than is to be found on any steamer route in China-the Yangtsze gorges, perhaps, excepted. Since 1st May, 1905, Samshui has been made a port of entry for foreign steamers going up the West River. Numerous steam launchies carrying passengers or towing passenger-boats ply between Sam- shui and neighbouring cities on the West and North Rivers and on the creek leading to Fatshan and Canton. A railway line from Canton to Samshui via Fatshan was inaugurated on the 26th September, 1904, and five trains run daily each way between Canton and Samshui. The climate of the port is as healthy as any in the delta. In the summer, frequent squalls cool the air, and it is seldom that there is not a breeze of some kind; in winter, the air is fresh and clear. The waterways and surrounding country are picturesque, and the adjacent heights offer pleasant walks. Excursions of one or two days enable one to climb Mt. McCleverty (,2000 ft.), at the mouth of the Samshui Reach; or Ting Hu Shan (4,000 ft.), behind the celebrated temple known to foreigners as “Howlik," near which is to be found the popular bathing pool and fall; or the hills forming the first gorge, from which used to be quarried the famous ink-stone known throughout China as Tuan Yen. Perhaps the most interesting of the sights in the neighbourhood are the Seven Star Hills, which are situated close to the pleasant town of Shiu Hing, some 30 miles from the port. These hills, formed of pure white marble rising to a height of about 400 feet from the plain, hold many temples-some apparently clinging to the sides of the cliffs-and caves and grottoes. The fine bronze figures of more than life-size in one of these temples are well worthy of attention. Fair snipe shooting can be obtained in the winter, and an occasional partridge, quail or duck may be added to the bag. The attractions of good sport and pleasing surroundings have made Samshui a week end resort for some of the Canton community confined to the small island of Shameen.
A telegraph service is maintained from Sainam. A nice building for the Post Office, situated alongside the road leading from the railway-station to the stone jetty, was completed and opened to the public on September 9th, 1921. There are no Consulates established; the Consuls within whose districts Samshui lies reside' either in Canton or Hongkong.
TRADE IN 1936.
Trade conditions at Samshui for the year as a whole were unsatisfactory. Direct foreign imports were value at $0.9 million only as compared with $1.6 million for 1935, while the value of direct export trade declined from $1 million to $280,000 only. The importance of the port as a distributing centre for foreign goods from Hong Kong continued to decrease during the year, and some of the principal imports began to be replaced by the cheaper native varieties. The wide fluctuations in the exchange rate between Canton and Hong Kong currencies and the high prices of commodities ruling in Hong Kong also adversely affected trade. Tin ingots and wood Oil, products of Kwangsi, are now shipped to Hong Kong from Wuchow instead of Samshui, and this partly accounted for the decrease in the direct export trade to abroad.
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