924
NINGPO
till towards the close of the 17th century, when the East India Company established a factory at the island of Chusan, some 40 miles from Ningpo. The attempt to found a trade mart there, however, proved unsatisfactory, and the factory was abandoned after a few years' trial. The port was deserted by foreigners for many years after that. When hostilities broke out between Great Britain and China in 1839, the fleet moved north from Canton, and on the 13th October, 1841, occupied Ningpo, and an English garrison was stationed there for some time. In March, 1842, an attempt was made by the Chinese to re-take the city, but the British artillery repulsed them with great slaughter. Ningpo was evacuated on May 7th, and, on the proclamation of peace in the following August, the port was thrown open to foreign trade.
Ningpo is built on a plain which stretches away to a considerable distance on either side. The walls of the city enclose a space of some five miles in circumference. They are built of brick, and are about 25 feet high, 15 feet wide at the summit, and 22 at the base. Access is obtained to the town by six gates. A large moat commences at the north gate and runs along the foot of the wall for about three miles on the landward side, until it stops at what is called the Bridge Gate. The main street runs from east to west. Several of the streets are spanned by arches erected in memory of distinguished natives. Ningpo has been celebrated as possessing the fourth library of Chinese works, in point of numbers, which existed in the empire. It was owned by a family who resided near the south gate. The site occupied by the foreign residences is on the north bank of the river. The population of Ningpo is estimated at 255,000. The city will eventually be connected with Shanghai and Hangchow by rail, but at present the line is completed only as far as Pakuan, east of Shaohsing.
There are a cotton mill, a match factory, an electric light company, and a local telephone company. The tea trade has fallen off owing to a deviation of the Fychow teas, which formerly passed through Ningpo but are now forwarded to Shanghai vid Hangchow. The net value of the trade of the port in 1923 was Hk. Tls. 41,619,357, as compared with Hk. Tls. 37,468,611 in 1922, and Hk. Tls. 34,416,836 in 1921.
DIRECTORY
亞細亞
Ah-si-ah
ASIATIC PETROLEUM Co. (NORTH CHINA),
LTD.-Tel. Ad: Doric
A. H. Hopkyn Rees, manager
J. S. Blanford
R. V. Buckley
A. R. Le Quesne
Miss Palmer
行銀國中
BANK OF CHINA
Y. K. Cheng, manager
T. G. Cheng, chief accountant
do.
Y. T. Li,
司公煙美英
BRITISH-AMERICAN TOBACCO Co., LTD.
W. Scott, local manager
Ta-koo
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE (John Swire &
Sons, Ld.)
R. Denniston, signs per pro.
Agencies
China Navigation Co., Ld. Ocean Steamship Co., Ld.
China Mutual Steam Nav. Co., Ld.
Canadian Govt. Merchant Marine, Ld.. Taikoo Sugar Refining Co., Ld.
Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co.
of Hongkong, Ld.
London and Lancs. Fire Insce. Co. Royal Exchange Assurance Corpn.
Guardian Assurance Co., Ld.
British Traders' Insurance Co., Ld.
Union Insce. Society of Canton, Ld.
British and Foreign Marine Ins. Co.,Ld..
Standard Marine Insurance Co., Ld.
Sea Insurance Co., Ld.
Guardian Assurance Co., Ld.
CAMPO CLUB
Secretary-J. Palmer
局甬商招 Chau Shang Yung-chuk
CHINA MERCHANTS' STEAM NAVIGATION Co.
Y P. Yen Tsze King, manager
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