Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 940

SOOCHOW

州蘇 Si-chan

Soochow, the capital of the province of Kiangsu, lies about eighty miles west and a little north of Shanghai, with which it is connected by excellent inland water-ways. The Shanghai-Nanking Railway, which has now been completed as far as Soochow supplies still better connection. The city is a rectangle, its length from north to south being three and a half miles and its width from east to west two and a half, the total circumference being about 10 miles. It lies not far from the eastern shore of the great Taihu lake. Past its walls runs the southern section of the Grand Canal, which joins Hangchow to Chinkiang ; and in every direction spread creeks or canals, affording easy communication with the numerous towns in the surrounding country. It is an important manufacturing centre, with a popula- tion of over half a million. Its two chief manufactures are satins and silk em- broideries of various kinds. In addition, it sends out silk goods, linen and cotton fabrics, paper, lacquerware, and articles in iron, ivory, wood, horn, and glass. Since the opening of the port manufactures on foreign principles have been introduced and there are now two cotton mills and several silk filatures. Silk was a failure in 1905, Before the Taiping rebellion Soochow shared with Hangehow the reputation of being the finest city in China, but it was almost entirely destroyed by the rebels, who captured it on 25th May, 1860. Its recovery by Major (afterwards General) Gordon on 27th Nov., 1863, was the first effective blow to the rebellion. Since that disastrous period it has recovered itself greatly and is once more populous and flourishing, though it has not yet attained to its former pitch of prosperity. It is still infested by turbulent law- breakers, who terrorise the vicinity. It was declared open to foreign trade on the 26th September, 1896, under the provisions of the Japanese treaty. The Foreign Settlement is under the southern wall of the city, just across the Canal, and is a strip of land about 1 miles long and a quarter of a mile broad. Some new roads have been made in this settlement. The western portion has been reserved for a Japanese Settlement. The government has made a good carriage road along the Canal bank extending the whole length of the settlement, and as far as the North-west gate of the city, on which carriages and ricshas ply, and on fine days the road is crowded with people from the city, amusing themselves, walking and driving. The Chinese and European school was opened in 1900. The net value of the trade of the port passing through the Foreign Customs in 1905 was Tls. 4,240,013, as against Tls. 3,131,579 in 1904, and Tls. 3,084,628 in 1903. But this represents only a smail portion of the total trade of the port, most of which passes through the Native Customs,

利吉

CHILI & CO., Merchants

K. Arai

DIRECTORY

CHINA MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co,

C. Parry, agent

CONSULATE, JAPANESE

Consul--T. Shirasu

Inspector of Police--J. Toyoda

### Soo-chow Hsin-kuan CUSTOMS-IMPERIAL MARITIME

Commissioner-F. S. Unwin

Assistants-B. D. Tisdall, T. Imai, E.

R. Marten, J. Fukumoto

Medical Officer A. G. Hearn, M.D.

Tidesurveyor-J. H. Nightingale

Examiner-J. Landen

Tidewaiters—J. Power, T. Knudsen, F.

Pawelke, C. Klatt

Kiangsu Likin Collectorate

Actg. Dpty.Commnnr.-G.F.H. Acheson . Digitiz by

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