Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 755

WONSAN (GENSAN OR YUENSAN)

Yuen-san

This port, situated in Broughton Bay, on the north-eastern coast of Chosen, is in the southern corner of the province of South Ham-kiung, about halfway between Fusan and Vladivostock. It was opened to Japanese trade on the 1st May, 1880, and to other nations in November, 1883. It is called Gensan by the Japanese and Yuensan by the Chinese. The native town has grown considerably since the port was opened to trade, and contains now a population of fully 20,000 inhabitants. The town is built along the southern shore of the bay, and through it runs the main road which leads from Seoul to the Tumen river. Markets are held five times a month for the sale of agricultural produce and Foreign imports. The Custom House is situated in the heart of the foreign settlements about a mile distant from the Native town. The Japanese have a well-kept settlement containing about 250 houses, with 2,000 inhabitants. The Chinese number 120, and the European and American residents about 30. The harbour is a good one, being spacious, easy of access, well sheltered, with excellent holding ground, and convenient depth of water. When the railway line to Seoul is laid the trade of Wonsan may be expected to show rapid development January is the coldest month, and one corner of the harbour--that before the native town--is sometimes frozen over, but the part used by shipping is never covered with ice of such a thickness as to interfere with navigation It has been decided to illuminate the harbour by three lighthouses. The country around Wonsan is under cultivation, and the soil is very rich. Within a short distance of the port are mines producing copper and other minerals, and gold is found amongst the neighbouring mountains. The cattle at the port, as nearly all over the country, are very fine and plentiful, and can be bought at very low rates; they are used as beasts of burden and for agricultural purposes, and are largely exported to Vladivostock for food purposes. A telegraph line to Seoul was opened in July, 1891, and has been extended northwards to within 100 li of the Russian frontier.

Trade is carried on by regular lines of steamers running to Japan, Shanghai, and Vladivostock. The value of the foreign trade is about £400,000 annually. The exports consist chiefly of beans, cattle, dried fish, gold-dust, whale-flesh and skins. Imports consist chiefly of cotton and silk manufactured goods, cotton wadding metals, and kerosene oil. About 40 per cent of the imports are cotton goods. There are practically no Europeans residing in the port, the business bring mainly in Japanese hands.

FUSAN

山釜 Fu-sun

Fusan, or Pusan, as it is called by the native population, is the chief port of Kiung; sang-do, the south-eastern province of Chosen, and lies in lat. 35 deg. 6 min. 6 sec. N. and long 129 deg. 3 min. 2 sec. E. It was opened to Japanese trade in 1876 and to Western nations in 1883. The native town consists of some 550 houses with a population of about 5,000 inhabitants. The Japanese settlement is situated a little distance from the native town, opposite the island of Cholyongdo (Deer Island). It is under the control of the Consul, who is, however, assisted by an elective Municipal Council. The Japanese population in Fusan numbers about 15,000, and there are about 3,500 more resident inland in the vicinity of the port. The Seoul-Fusan Railway and a daily service of steamers to Japan have combined to make Fusan a great centre of activity, and the volume of trade passing through the port has greatly increased, In conuection with the railway a big scheme of harbour reclamation is being carried out, and this will provide building sites suitable for godowns, which are now sadly deficient. Many public improvements have been carried out in recent years, including the erection of a new settlement, the construction of water-works, the instal lation of electric light, and the making of good roads in the neighbourhood of the foreign quarter.