Directory_and_Chronicle_1905 — Page 925

局報電州雅

YACHOW

CHUNGKING-HANGCHOW

315

局報電甯永

YUNGNING

K. D. Chow, clerk

K. C. Woong, manager

3 operators

局報電川永

C. Y. Fung, clerk

YUENCHUEN

YULIN MATCH FACTORY

K. Miyasaka, manager

C. Sonehara

HANGCHOW

in tr Hùng-chau

州杭

Hangchow, the capital of the province of Chekiang, is situated 150 miles south- west of Shanghai, and 127 miles south of Soochow, on the Chien-tang River at the apex of a bay which is too shallow for the navigation of steamers. The mouth of the river is, moreover, periodically visited by a bore, or tidal wave, which further endangers the navigation. Haining is the best place for observing this famous bore, which is formed by the north-east trade wind heaping up the water of the Pacific on the China coast and causing enormous tides. Hangchow Bay is shaped like a funnel, and the mass of water rushing up, more and more concentrated as it advances, is sud- denly confronted by the current of the river. The momentary check causes the water to assume a wall-like formation; then, growing to a height of 15ft. at spring tides and gathering momentum with the immense pressure behind, forcing its volume into the comparatively narrow waterway, it tears past the sea-wall with a roar like thunder at a rate sometimes reaching 15 miles an hour. Before the Taiping rebellion Hangchow shared with Soochow the reputation of being one of the finest cities in the Empire, on account of its wealth and splendour, but it was almost destroyed by the rebels. It has since rapidly recovered and is once more populous and flourishing, though it has not yet regained its former pitch of prosperity. The population is estimated at 750,000, including suburbs. As a manufacturing centre Hangchow takes place even before Soochow. Its three great trades are silk weaving, including several kinds of crape and gauze, the production of fans of all kinds, and the making of thin tin foil, from which are formed the imitation ingots of silver, burnt in such immense quantities by the Chinese. In addition, it sends out thread, string, colours, drugs, lacquer, and many other articles in small quantities. The communication by water with Shanghai is particularly good, and might be much improved with very little trouble by a small amount of dredging at a spot in the Grand Canal twenty miles from Hangchow. Ningpo, about 120 miles distant, can also be reached by boat from Hang- chow with several transhipments only: it is quicker to go via Shanghai. Hangchow was declared open to foreign trade on the 26th September, 1896, in accordance with the terms of the Japanese treaty. Steam launches ply regularly to and from Shanghai and to and from Soochow with passenger boats in tow, making the trip in from 18 to24 hours. One of the sights of Hangchow is the famous western lake, dotted with islets crowned with shrines and memorial temples, and spanned by causeways joining island to island. The general picturesque effect is heightened by temples, pagodas, and similar monuments judiciously placed in effective spots, while the slopes of the hills bordering the lake on the west are bright with azaleas, honey-suckle, and peach-bloom, and clusters of bamboos, several kinds of conifers, the stillignia, camphor tree, and maple in rich profusion, all help to make the scene ideally perfect.

The site selected for the Foreign Settlement extends for half a mile along the east bank of the Grand Canal; it covers over half a square mile and is about four miles from the city wall. The Japanese concession adjoins it on the North and is about the same size. The Custom House and Commissioner's and Assistants' residences are built on the Customs Lot, and an imposing Police Station has also been put up. A British Consulate has been built on the opposite side of the Japanese Concession, not on the settlements. On the west side, opposite the Settlement, a cotton mill, owned by Chinese and built and worked on western lines, is in operation. It was working in 1903 night and day, and turned out 3,000,000 lbs. of yarn; the company has built a large

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Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN