Directory_and_Chronicle_1918 — Page 770

LUNGKOW

口 龍

Lungkow, which was declared a trading port in November, 1914, but was not formally opened until 1st November, 1915, is about 60 miles due west of Chefoo, on the west coast of the Shantung promontory. It lies about 100 miles south-west of the Japanese port, Dairen. Newchwang and Tientsin are each about 200 miles distant from Lungkow.

The port is well sheltered by the Chiriutao Peninsula. There is a narrow channel which admits of steamers of 12 feet draft anchoring within a few hundred yards from the shore otherwise the port is shallow with a sand bar stretching out for a considerable distance. The harbour of Lungkow (Dragon's Mouth) is seven miles wide at the entrance, and has a sand bar which forms a breakwater for five miles across the opening. The inner harbour has a low-water mark of from 11 to 13 feet and storms seldom disturb the shipping inside. It is not to be expected that the Chinese Government will, for many years at least, undertake extensive harbour improvements at Lungkow, and without extensive harbour improvements Lungkow can not accommodate more than two or three vessels of 12 feet draft at one time at anything like reasonable distance from the shore.

The town of Lungkow has a population of about 4,000. It is estimated that within a radius of about five miles of Lungkow there is a population of 65,000. A level stretch of country behind Lungkow, thickly populated and very fertile, gives promise of the port some day assuming considerable importance. The proposed Chefoo-Weihsien Railway would connect Lungkow with both Chefoo and Weihsien, thus with north and central Shantung.

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The opening of this port to foreign trade was due to overtures made to the Chinese Government by Japan. There is a large passenger trade between Shantung Province and Manchuria. Between 10,000 and 50,000 Shangtung natives migrate to Manchuria each year for the summer crops, returning again in the autumn or early winter. present the bulk of this traffic goes from Chefoo and Tsingtau. As Dairen is about 120 miles from Lungkow it will be possible to divert much of this passenger traffic to Lungkow, where Japanese steamers will probably be prepared to take it at a lower rate to Dairen than would be possible from Chefoo or Tsingtau, especially so when the railway is completed connecting Lungkow with Weihsien.

It is not expected that any foreign interests other than the Japanese will avail themselves of the port.

WEIHAIWEI

衞海威 Weihaiwei

Weihaiwei is situated on the south side of the Gulf of Pechili near the extremity of the Shantung Promontory, and about 115 miles distant from Port Arthur on the north-west and the same from the port of Kiaochau on the south-west. Formerly a strongly fortified Chinese naval station, it was captured by the Japanese on 30th January, 1895, and was held by them pending the payment of the indemnity, which was finally liquidated in 1898. Before the evacuation by the Japanese an agreement was arrived at between Great Britain and China that the former should take over the territory on lease from the latter, and accordingly, on the 24th May, 1898, the British flag was formally hoisted, the Commissioners representing their respective countries at the ceremony being Consul Hopkins, of Cliefoo, and Captain King-Hall, of H.M.S.