Directory_and_Chronicle_1909 — Page 1150

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

LUNGCHOW

Lung-chow

957

This city is situated at the junction of the Sung-chi and Kao-ping rivers in lat. 22 deg.. 21 min. N., and long. 106 deg, 45 min. E., near the south-western border of the province of Kwangsi, and was selected as the seat of the frontier trade of that province with Tonkin. The continuation of the two above named rivers is known as Tso-chiang, or left branch of the West River, and it enters the main stream some 30 miles above Nan- ning. The town is prettily placed in a circular valley surrounded by hills, and has a new wall completed in 1887. The population is estimated to number about 22,000. Lung- chow, from a military point of view, is considered, by the Chinese, to be a place of importance. Considerable bodies of troops are stationed here, and the head-quarterg of the Provincial Commander-in-Chief are established between it and the Tonkins frontier. It was opened to the Franco-Annamese trade on the 1st June, 1889, but so far the little trade existing has been of a very petty description, and will continue so until the Haiphong-Hanoi-Langson railway, which after twelve years' assiduous work was completed early in 1902, is extended to Lungchow; for the present, this extension is abandoned. Telegraphic communication exists with Canton and other places down the West River, with Mêngtza in Yunnan, via Po-sê, and with places in Tonkin. The Imperial Post Office sends daily couriers to Langson in Tonkin and couriers every second day to Nanning with connections to Canton and Pakhoi. An establishment of the Imperial Maritime Customs is maintained here. The net value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Foreign Customs for 1905 was Tls. 230,452 against Tls. 395,526 in 1904, and Tls. 132,414 for 1903. The year 1907 has witnessed another small decrease, the net value being Tls. 155, 791, against Tls. 186, 274 in 1903.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1909 — Page 1150

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