Directory_and_Chronicle_1910 — Page 944

HANKOW

口漢

Han-kau

Hankow is situated on the river Han at the point where it enters the Yangtze, 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 Yangtze, Hankow is distant from Shanghai about 600 miles.

Attention was first drawn to Hankow as a place of trade by Hue, the 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 Yangtze, 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 mounds, 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 Yangtze 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 ap 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 features. 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 the ironworks at Hanyang have developed into a large and important enterprise employing about 3,500 men. Hangyang iron is now being placed on the American market at a price which enables it to hold its own against the Steel Trust product. In August, 1895, the Wuchang Mint was established. The Mint has had to be considerably enlarged in recent years to enable it to keep pace with the demand. In April, 1906, there were 170 coining

presses at work.

The local manufacturing industries include besides the Government ironworks and arsenals, cotton and silk weaving. A carriage and wagon works to supply rolling stock to the Yuet-Han Railway, closely allied with the Hanyang Ironworks, which is turning ont bridges and girders for railways, has been established on the Hankow side of the river. There is a quasi-official coal-mining company in connection with the ironworks, the pits being at Ping-hsiang in Kwangsi. The coal is brought down in lighters from the railhead, fifteen miles above Changsha, The Wuchang Cotton and Hemp mills, together with the silk filature, were leased by the Viceroy in 1902 to a company of Chinese capitalists for 100,000 taels a year, for a period of 20 years. Apart from the Hemp mill, which began operations in 1904, under Japanese management, the concern is doing a flourishing business. A tannery was start- ed in 1906, and three flour mills. Other flour mills are now being erected, and the bean oil milling industry is also well established in the port.