HAIPHONG
Haiphong, the commercial capital of Tonkin, is built on the right bank of the river Cua Cam, one of the numerous divisions of the Song Khoi (Red River), which connects Yunnan with the Tonkin Gulf. Its geographical situation is 20 deg. 51 min. lat. N., 106 deg. 42 min. long. E. Although the river is some- what cbstructed by a bar, the entrance to the harbour is as accessible by night as it is by day, thanks to an up-to-date system of lights. The channel, con- stantly dredged and supervised by the Dept. of Public Works, allows the biggest liners of the Messageries Maritimes to call at Haiphong. The light- house on the island of Hondau shows a light visible 20 naval miles distant, while that on the Norway islands, indicating the entrance to Hongay, the coal- ing station, is visible at 25 miles. Vessels anchor in front of the city, in the middle of the river, a quarter-of-a-mile from the shore, while a wharf of 2,000 feet gives ample space for the accommodation of five big ocean-going liners at one time. This wharf is equipped with all modern appliances-2-ton electric cranes, 10-and 20-ton steam cranes, rail track, and electric light. Ships arriv- ing alongside may be immediately connected with the telephone and thus get in touch with any point in the city. Large warehouses, covering an area of 9 acres and having a storage capacity of 100,000 tons, have been erected on the water-front and are connected by rail with the Central Station of the Com- pagnie des Chemins de Fer de l'Indo-Chine et du Yunnan. There is thus every facility for the quick handling of goods destined for the different centres of Tonkin and the. Chinese province of Yunnan, to which Haiphong is the gate- way, by means of the railway line. These godowns and the wharf are the pro- perty of the Port Autonome, which owns also the s.s. Amiral de Beaumont, a powerful sea-going tug ready to give assistance to any vessel, whether at sea or in the harbour. A floating dock, capable of lifting vessels up to 330 feet in length and 2,500 tons displacement, is attached to a modern shipbuilding and repairing yard, where the most extensive repairs can be undertaken.
Haiphong proper is in the midst of an extensive rice swamp with low- lying swampy land all around it for miles, having in the distance the mono- tony relieved by rugged ranges of low limestone hills, and beyond these to the northward, at a distance of some 16 miles, is a range of mountains, the loftiest. known as the "Tooth of Nam Mâu" being about 3,500 feet (1068 metres) high. Though at the time of its origin in 1884 Haiphong was but a mere native village in the midst of rice fields and muddy streams, it has rapidly developed into the most important commercial and industrial centre of Tonkin and the port for all home and foreign traffic. Being a new town, it has been built according to modern ideas. The streets and boulevards are wide, clean and well-shaded, and constructed for the most part at right angles. The town has a cosy and pleasing appearance, most of the houses being of the cottage type. The chief commercial and administrative buildings are the Central Post Office, City Hall, Banque de l'Indochine, Municipal Theatre, and Custom-house. There is a Roman Catholic Cathedral attached to the Spanish Mission, and a Protestant church, also has been erected in the town. There is a very pretty theatre, built in 1900 by the Municipality. The Hôtel du Commerce is a large and handsome structure, its lofty mansard roof dominating every building in the town. The Cercle du Commerce, which is a well-managed club, has its domicile in the boulevard Paul Bert. The year 1922 saw the opening of the "Cercle Sportif Haïphonnais," with a large and handsome building and exten- sive grounds for all forms of sport.
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Haiphong has two public gardens, where military concerts are given on Sundays and Thursdays. The small Botanical Garden of the Lach Tray, two miles out of town, is one of the evening promenades.