Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 1018

SAMSHUI

水三 Sám-shwui

The Treaty port of Samshui, opened in 1897 under the Burmah Convention —nearly forty years after Consul Harry Parkes' East River Expedition is situated near the junction of the West and North Rivers, in lat. 23 deg. 6 min. 30 sec. N., and long. 112 deg. 53 min. and 48 sec. E. The anchorage known as Hokow, at which foreigners reside, was formerly an ordinary Chinese fishing village, with boat building as its leading industry, and a flooded state in summer as its characteristic peculiarity, but it is fast becoming a busy town. According to the Convention, the town of Samshui and Kongkên (a dirty little village sleeping among the hills opposite. Hokow) together constitute the port area. The formal opening took place on 4th June, 1897, since which date the net value of the trade of the port coming under the cognizance of the Foreign Customs has grown to nearly four million taels. The junk traffic is simply enormous and the Tekin station is the first in the province. The district city of Samshui itself is surrounded by an imposing wall built in the 6th year of Chia Ching of the Ming's (about A.D. 1560), the year after the place attained to the dignity of a magistrate's cure. Within the wall the houses are poor and the place is wanting in life-a condition in which it has remained throughout the present dynasty and in contrast (say the records) to its affluent state under the Mings. Without the North Gate stands an imposing temple, terap Chia Ching (circa 1800), Between the town and the river is a fine nine-storied pagoda-probably of the Ming dynasty.

The business focus of the district is Sainam, a large well-built town of no great antiquity, three miles distant, on the creek leading to Fatshan. The inhabitants are not lacking in enterprise and there is a steam silk filature and a steam flour mill. Here an interesting occupation is the tinning of rice-birds, soles and game. The rice birds are caught in reed patches at night in a bag net, into which they are swept by a rope drawn over the reeds. The season is short, lasting only for six weeks in the Autumn.

Three sets of steamer lines converge here, from Canton, Hongkong and Macao respectively, and tourists in China can do many worse things than visit the West River, and should not fail to explore this port and its environs. The number of steamers entered and cleared at the Custom House during 1905 amounted to over 1500, Since 1st May, 1905, Samshui has been made a port of entry for steamers from abroad going up the West River. Numerous steam launches carrying passengers or towing passenger boats ply between Samshui and neighbouring cities on the West and North Rivers and on the creek leading to Fatshan and Canton. A railway line from Canton to Samshui via Fatshan was inaugurated on the 26th September, 1904, and five trains run daily each way between Canton and Samshui. The railway brought in and took away from Samshui 354,465 passengers out of a total of 2,657,489_carried during the year 1905. Goods traffic does not exist so far. In the Summer malignant diseases-fever, dengue, cholera, plague, etc.--may occasionally appear, as in every other place in China; but in the Winter the air is keen, bracing, and clear. The waterways and surrounding country are picturesque and the adjacent heights (from 200 to 400 ft.) worthy of ascent. Game, especially snipe, duck and geese, is to be found in fair quantities. The temperature varies from 38° F. to 100° F.-dry in winter, damp in summer--but generally very supportable.

The Chinese Imperial Post Office with a head office at Samshui is connected by steamers with Hongkong and by rail with Canton and with all important cities in the neighbourhood by steam launches or couriers.

There is no telegraph station at Samshui, but telegrams are forwarded via Sainam by messengers.

Digitized by

Google