CHUNGKING
CHUNGKING
Chung-king
247
The city of Chungking, situated in lat. 29 deg. 33 min. 30 sec. N. long, 107 deg. 2 min. E., may well be described as not only the commercial capital of Szechuen, but of the whole of Western China. The foreign import trade centres here, and is then distributed by a smaller class of trading junks up the various rivers of the province. All exports-yellow silk, white wax, hides, leather, feathers, bristles, rhubarb, musk, opium, and the large assortment of Chinese medicines-are received, assorted, repacked, and shipped to Ichang, Hankow, and Shasi, consignments to the latter port being transhipped there into smaller junks, and forwarded to the southern provinces, via the Tung Ting lake.
The city occupies the end of a high and rocky bluff forming a peninsula, at the junction of the river Kia-ling with the Yangtsze, 1,400 miles from the mouth of the latter. The principal streets of the city, in which are many fine shops, are on the side of the Yangtsze. It is surrounded by a crenelated stone wall in good repair, which is some five miles in circumference, pierced with nine gates. This wall was built in 1761, replacing an older one. The climate of Chungking is depressing, the summer being hot and damp, the winters raw and chilly, with thick fogs from November to March. Spring and autumn can indeed hardly be said to exist. The ordinary rise of the river is about 70 feet; in 1892 it rose 96 feet, and in 1897 to 101 feet, the water. not being able to force its way fast enough through the gorges. An extraordinary landslip occurred in September, 1896, some distance below Chungking, which forms a dangerous rapid and greatly interfered with traffic on the river. Operations are now in progress for the removal of the obstruction. On the left bank of the Kia- ling and facing Chungking, extending below the junction of the two rivers, is the walled city of Kiang-Peh-ting, formerly within the district of Li Min Fu, but now incorporated in Chungking Fu. These two cities and the large villages in their im- mediate neighbourhood are estimated to contain a population of about 300,000.
The port was declared open to Foreign trade in March, 1891, but business did not actually commence until the 18th June, since which date. a large trade has been done both in imports and exports, carried in foreign chartered junks, but latterly the trade has been checked by rebellious disturbances. The net value of the trade for 1898 was Tls. 17,426,872, for 1897 Tls 17,971,376, and for 1896 TIs. 13,131,569.
The Yangtsze is navigable for steamers from Ichang, not only to Chungking, but as far as Suchau-fu, where the Min river joins the Yangtsze, but before the Japanese war steamers were not allowed to ascend above Ichang. By the Japanese treaty of 1894, however, the right of steam navigation to Chungking was secured, and in the spring of 1898 the voyage was successfully accomplished by Mr. A. Little with the small steamer Leechuen, which, however, being of limited power, had to be tracked up the rapids in the same way as junks.
Suifu
do.
DIRECTORY
AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION,
Szechuen Prov., address via Chingking
Rev. and Mrs. C. A. Salquist, Rev. R. and Mrs. Wellwood,
BIBLE CHRISTIAN MISSION, Postal Ad. Yun- nan-fu, Mengtsz; Tel. Ad. Yunnan-fu
Rev. F. J. and Mrs. Dymond
Rev. S. and Mrs. Pollard, Chaot'ong-fu
Dr. C. H. and Mrs. Finch,
do.
Rev. W. F. and Mrs. Beaman, Kaiting
Rev. E. J. and Mrs. Piper, Yunnan-fu Rev. W. A. and Mrs. Grist
Rev. F. J. Bradshaw,
do.
Rev. C. E. Hicks, Tong-chuan-fu
Rev. W. M. and Mrs. E. Uperaft, Yachou
Rev. Dr. L. and Mrs. Savin, do.
Dr. Briton Corlies,
do.
Mrs. Thorne, Yunnan-fu
Rev. H. J. and Mrs. Openshaw, Kiating
會書國聖美大
AMERICAN BIBLE SIETY
Rev. W. Laughton
Jas. J. Neave, Chengtu
Miss Bush, Chaotong-fu
Rev. W. and Mrs. Tremberh (absent)
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Merchants
Chine She Ying, agent
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.