WENCHOW.
1
Wên-chow-fu, one of the four new ports opened to foreign trade by the Chefoo Convention, is the chief town in the department of the same name occupying the south-east corner of Cue-kiang province. The city is situated on the south bank of the river Ou-kiang, about twenty miles from its mouth in lat. 27 deg. 18 min. 4 sec. N., long. 120 deg. 38 min. 28 sec. The site is a well cultivated plain, bounded on all sides, but at a distance of some ten miles, by lofty hills. The walls are said to have been first erected during the fourth century, and enlarged and re-built by the Emperor Hung-Wu in 1385. They are formed of stone, diagonally laid, and measure about six miles in circumference. The streets are wider, straighter, cleaner, and better paved than those of most Chinese cities, and far more attention is paid to sanitary matters. There are numerous large temples here, and in consequence it has been styled "a cathedral city." The Custom-house, outside the east gate, the Taotai's Yamên, in the south west corner of the city, and the Foundling Hospital near the centre are the other chief public buildings. The latter institution, built in 1748, contains one hundred apartments. It is supported by the interest of invested subscriptions and the rental of alluvial lands presented to it by the Government. The number of foundlings on the establishment's books at one time varies from two to three hundred. When of suitable age the boys are either articled to tradesmen, or adopted; the girls are betrothed as wives, or employed as house servants. There is also a Beggars' Asylum outside the south-west gate. It was built during the 14th century, and is supported by the state. The monthly allowance for each recipient is one tael and a half, but it is reported that tew avail themselves of the charity. Among the objects of greatest interest and curiosity to the stranger are two pagodas situated on an island abreast of the city. They are both of great antiquity and are reputed to have been for some time the retreat of Ti Ping, the last Emperor of the Sung dynasty, when seeking to escape from the Mongols under Kublai Khan. The estimated population of the city is 170,000.
Wên-chow was formerly a great seat of the tea trade, and previous to 1861 was the only port in the department at which tea was allowed to be exported. The city was then in a flourishing condition. But in order to prevent the teas from falling into the hands of the Tâi-p'ing rebels, who over-ran the whole district during that year, this regulation was exchanged for one which authorized the export of tea at any of the Customs stations along the coast; consequently the trade soon gravitated to Foochow on the south and to Ningpo on the north. It was thought that on the conversion of Wên-chow into a treaty port it would speedily recover its old position as a tea exporting place, but this has not so far proved to be the case, nor has the trade in any way been of a character to meet the expectations formed. At present thero 18 no foreigu settlement, and the foreign residents in 1877 only numbered 19. The obstructive action of the officials in trying to impose additional burdens on im- ports Lelped to check the expansion of commerce, and there has so far beea little encouragement for foreigners to establish themselves at the port. There is a con- siderable native export trade in wood and bamboos, brought down the river in rafts from Ch'u-chow. The annual value of this trade is estimated to be not less than $2,000,000. The shops and yards engaged in it are situated in the west suburb, where immense quantities of banboo and poles are kept on hand. The net value of the foreign imports for the year 1877 was Tls. 223,506. Only 28 piculs of Opium were imported during 1877. The net revenue for 1877 was Tls. 3,158. In the same year 7,745 piculs of Congou were exported, but at present there seems little prospect of the tea trade becoming important.
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