Directory_and_Chronicle_1917 — Page 1102

WUCHOW

州梧 Wu-chau

Wuchow, opened to foreign trade on June 4th, 1897, by the Special Article of the Burmah Convention, is situated on the Sikiang or West River at its junction with the Fu or Kuei (Cassia) River. By the steamer routes at present authorised it is distant about 220 miles from Hongkong and Canton. Wuchow is the limit of navigation for -ocean-going steamiers; but, during eight months in the year, vessels drawing not more than 3 feet can reach Kueihsien (150 miles beyond Wuchow), and Nanning (360 miles from here) can be reached by boats drawing 2 ft., almost all the year round. The population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 50,000; it is slowly increas- ing, more especially in the riverine suburbs, which comprise the business quarter. The annual inundations caused by the rise in the river-there is an average difference of 60 fect between the winter and summer levels-are a source of great inconvenience to the inhabitants and at times bring about a total cessation of business. To obviate this, the principal steamship offices, the foreign Customs House and the native Customs and Lekin stations, together with numerous shops and hotels, are located on pontoons (locally known as Pais) noored alongside the river bank. The situation of Wuchow makes it the natural distributing centre for the trade between Kweichow, Eastern Yunnan, Kwangsi, and Hongkong and Canton. The future is full of promise, and Wuchow in the course of a few years is sure to make a bold bid for second place as the largest trade mart in the south of China. Local merchants are making strenuous efforts to divert to Wuchow, via the Liuchow and West Rivers, the trade of south- eastern Kweichow, which is principally supplied via the Yangtszc. Attempts are being made to work the antimony, copper, and tin mines which abound in the Kwangsi Province. The gross value of the trade coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs has steadily grown from four to nearly sixteen million Taels, and the revenue is over six hundred thousand Taels, while the Native Customs co tro. a junk trade worth over nine million taels and collect approximately 100,000 taels dutyl The principal articles of export are antimony, timber, oils (auisecd, cassia, wood and tea), indigo, hides, and live stock. The coal, which should form one of Wuchow's largest exports, still lies buried in the surrounding hills. There is daily steam communication with Canton, maintained by two steamers of the British West River Steamship Co. and two Chinese owned steamers. There are now 14 steamers on the Hongkong-Wuchow run, chiefly cargo vessels, but excellent passenger accommodation can be obtained on the British owned steamers. During the last few years a large native passenger trade has sprung up between Wuchow and up-river towns: launches leave daily during the summer months for Konghau, Kuaiping and Kueihsien, and a fleet of motor boats inake regular trips to Nanning. Attempts were made during the year 1916 t obtain a regular motor-boat service between Wuchow and Kweilin, the old provincial capital, but owing to the abnormally low state of the river during the summer months the venture was not a success. However, given normal conditions there is every reason to :suppose that in the future a trip to Kweilin by motor-boat to visit the Ming Tombs nay form a part of the West River tourist's itinerary. The floods in 1914 were the highest on record, the water in the river rising to 73′ 3′′, but they were eclipsed by the 1915 floods, which rose to 79' 6", causing widespread ruin. The lowest winter reading was 2.5 deg. below zero in December, 1992. In winter the only local industry worthy of mention is boat building; when the river falls the foreshore is lined with matsheds, where native craft of all descriptions, from a huge salt junk to a diminutive sanipan, are -constructed. Wuchow itself offers few attractions to the tourist, but the river scenery on the way up, especially between the Shuihing and Takhing Gorges, where the stream winds in and out among the green hills to form a succession of apparent lakes, is extremely picturesque, and has not altogether unjustly been compared to the Rhine. Wuchow is connected by telegraph with Hongkong, Shanghai, etc.; and the Chinese Post has established postal communication with the principal towns in Kwangsi.

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