Directory_and_Chronicle_1901 — Page 704

HANKOW

247

HANKOW

口淡 Han-kau

Hankow is situated on the river Han at the point where it enters the Yangtsze, and is in lat. 30 deg. 32 min. 51 sec. N., and long. 114 deg. 19 min. 55 sec. E. It was formerly regarded as only a suburb of Hanyang, which it immediately adjoins, and which is a district city of the province of Hupeh, but Hankow has outstripped the older city in wealth and importance. These two towns lie immediately facing the city of Wuchang-fu, the capital of the province, which is built upon the south bank of the Yangtsze. Hankow is distant from Shanghai about 600 miles.

Attention was first drawn to Hankow as a place of trade by Huc, a French missionary. Captain Blakiston, in his work "The Yangtsze," gives the following correct description of the place and its surroundings:-"Hankow is situated just where an irregular range of semi-detached low hills crosses a particularly level country on both sides of the main river in an east and west direction. Stationed on Pagoda Hill, Hanyang, a spectator looks down on almost as much water as land even when the rivers are low. At his feet sweeps the magnificent Yangtsze, nearly a mile in width; from the west and skirting the northern edge of the range of hills already mentioned, comes the river Han, narrow and canal-like, to add its quota, and serving as one of the highways of the country; and to the north-west and north is an extensive treeless flat, so little elevated above the river that the scattered hamlets which dot its surface are without exception raised on moands, probably artificial works of a now distant age. A stream or two traverse its farther part and flow into the main river. Carrying his eye to the right bank of the Yangtsze one sees enormous lakes and lagoons both to the north-west and south-east sides of the hills beyond the provincial city.

The port was opened to foreign trade in 1861. The British Settlement is located at the east end of the city, which it joins, and is, together with the Race Course, included. within the city walls, which are quite modern, having been built at the time of the Taiping Rebellion. It is well laid out, the roads being broad and all lined with well. grown trees. The Bund affords a very fine and pleasant promenade, and has an imposing appearance from the river. There are a large Roman Catholic and small Protestant and Greek churches, the latter a rather handsome structure built by the Russian residents. Several Brick Tea factories owned by Russians are located in the Settlement. A capital club, with tennis and racquet courts, bowling alley, billiard and reading rooms, library, &c., is kept up. The river steamers go alongside hulks inoored close to the shore; ocean steamers anchor in mid-stream. The current is very strong in the river. The native city of Hankow presents no distinctive feature. Like all Chinese cities it is a crowded agglomeration of narrow lanes.

The popula tion of Hankow is estimated at 800,000. Cotton cloth mills established by the Viceroy Chang Chih-tung commenced running in 1892, and large ironworks at Hanyang have also been established. In August, 1895, the Wuchang Mint was established, the coinage being identical, with the exception of the territorial designa- tion of the Canton Mint.

During the last few years Foreign interests at Hankow have undergone a marked development, the chief factor in producing the growth being the commencement of work on Lu Han Railway, a trunk line connecting Hankow with Peking, the contract for which was let to a Belgian syndicate in 1897.

Belgian syndicate in 1897. The project had been discussed for some years previously, and in view of the importance the port will derive from direct railway communication with the capital and from the anticipated opening up of the country in other directions, Germany, France, Russia, and Japan have since 1895 acquired concessions, and an extension of the British concession has been granted. Thus, while there was formerly only a bund of half a mile in length, in front of the British concession, there is now a continuous line of concessions measuring in all over two miles of river frontage. The Commissioner of Customs in his report for 1899 said:-Building is going on apace, roads have been laid out, and the trade of the port in 1898 was the largest on record. A Hemp factory, under the auspices of the Viceroy, is being erected, and will be equipped with the latest machinery, and English

instructors.