Directory_and_Chronicle_1918 — Page 917

KEWKIANG

♬ Kiú-kiang

!

Kewkiang (now more generally written Kiukiang) is situated on the river Yangtsze near the outlet of the Poyang Lake, and is a prefectural city of the province of Kiang-si It is distant about 142 geographical miles from Hankow and 454 miles from Shanghai. Kewkiang was, before the Rebellion, a busy and populous city; but it was occupied by the Taiping rebels in 1853, and before it was given up to the Imperial troops was almost entirely destroyed. When the Foreign Settlement was established there, how- ever, the population soon returned, and has continued to increase rapidly: it is now estimated at 60,000.

The city is built close to the river, the walls running along the banks of it for some 500 yards. Their circumference is about five miles, but a portion of the space enclosed is still unoccupied. The city contains no feature of interest. There are several large lakes to the north and west of it, and it is backed by a noble range of hills a few miles distant, among them being Kuling, some 3,600 feet high, which has become a well-known summer resort, especially of missionaries. The foreign settlement lies to the west of the city and is neatly laid out. It possesses a small bund lined with trees, a club, a small Protestant church, and a Roman Catholic Cathedral.

The idea which led to the opening of Kewkiang was, no doubt, its situation as regards communication by water with the districts where Tea is produced. But the hopes entertained respecting the port have never been wholly realised, Hankow having become the market for Black Teas. The general trade of the port, however, has in- creased considerably in recent years, a large development of inland steam navigation in the Poyang Lake contributing to this result. Its now completed connection by rail with the provincial capital, Nanchang, may further improve matters. The net value of the trade of the port for the year 1916 was Hk. Tls. 42,406,996, as compared with Hk. Tls. 39,278,120 in 1915 and Hk. Tls. 37,523,671, in 1914. Kewkiang is the port from whence the ware made at the far-famed porcelain factories at Kin-te-chên is shipped. The specimens sent to the Paris Exhibition in 1900 secured a silver medal, in competition with European porcelain. Beans and peas, hemp, indigo, paper, melon and sesamum seeds, and tobacco leaf are also important exports.

DIRECTORY

亞細亞

ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (NORTH CHINA),

LTD., THE-Tel. Ad: Doric

G. H. Charleton, local manager

W. A. Lewis

K. L. Murray

G. Geizen

J. Moore, installation manager

BANK OF TAIWAN

Sueho Ukon, manager

M. Tsukamoto |

Katada

K. Mihara

S. Osaka

G. Matsunaga

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO CO.

G. Victor Syms, signs per pro.

Ta-koo

BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE (John Swire & Sons,

Ltd.), Merchants-Tel. Ad: Swire

J. Robertson, signs per pro. Hulks-"Palias" and "Sultan"

Agencies

China Navigation Company, Limited Ocean Steamship Company, Limited China Mutual Steam Nvgtn. Co., Ld. London and Lancashire Fire Insce. Co. British and Foreign Marine Insce. Co. Union Insurance Society of Canton, Ld.- Royal Exchange Assce. Co., Ld. Orient Ins. Co., Ld. Guardian Assce. Co., Ld.

Standard Marine Ins. Co., Ld. Sea Insurance Cc., Ld.