Directory_and_Chronicle_1925 — Page 784

TSINANFU

Tsinan (or Chinan, as it is sometimes written), the capital of the province of Shantung, has the distinction of being the first city in the Chinese Empire in which a Foreign Commercial Settlement was voluntarily opened by the Government of China. The date of its inauguration was January 10th, 1906. The city of Tsinan lies at the foot of a range of hills (Lat. 36° 50′ N; Long. 117° E), and has a gradual slope from south to north. Situated in the south-west suburb are magnificent springs giving forth many tons of water per minute, and the streams from these natural fountains flow through the city to a lake situated on the north side. This abundance of water tends to make Tsinan one of the cleanest as well as one of the healthiest cities in the Republic. The population is computed to number about 300,000, about one-twentieth of whom profess the Mohammedan faith. In an address delivered on the occasion of the inauguration of the Foreign Settlement, the Governor of Shantung described Tsinan as occupying a pivotal position with respect to northern and southern China and as being on the main route from Kaiféng Fu to the Yellow Sea. "An iminense development," he declared, "must, therefore, await this Settlement, and though it may never equal the largest commercial centres of Europe and America, yet it may well hope to enter into rivalry with them." Quite a considerable number of foreigners and foreign institutions have already established themselves in the Settlement, and during the last few years several large and imposing buildings have been erected. The chief of these are the new British Consulate-General, the Japanese Consulate-General, Japanese hospital and the Chinese Post Office. There is also quite a boom in the building of small houses which are occupied by Chinese and numbers of Japanese (about 1,600 in 1924). In addition to these, large buildings have been erected in the south suburb of the city for the Shantung Christian University-the premier educational institution in China. The Tientsin-Pukow Railway Co. has acquired a large piece of ground in the Settlement, and has built offices and dwelling-houses for members of the staff thereon.

Tsinanfu is connected by rail with Tsingtao (Kiaochau), distant 220 miles, Tientsin 200 miles, and with Pukow on the Yangtsze. It is also connected by canal and river with Yang Chiao Kou, on the Gulf of Chihli, distant 146 miles, whence there are occa- sional steamers to Chefoo. Tsinan stands five miles south of the Huang-ho or Yellow River, and in spite of some difficulties of navigation there is a considerable junk traffic between its river port of Lo-kou and the Grand Canal, which enters the river 80 miles higher up. This trade is almost, if not quite, entirely with the south, to Chining- chou and beyond, since the canal from the Huangho northward to Lin-ching-chou has been unnavigable for several years. The high road from Tsinan to the north crosses the Huang-ho by ferry at Chi-ho Hsien, distant 16 miles. Since the opening of the bridge over the Yellow River at Lokow through communication has been established on the Tsin Pu Railway from Tientsin to Pukow via Tsinan.

Tsinan is the headquarters of the fifth division of the Chinese army, whose camp is a few miles south-west of the town. There has been an arsenal since 1874, north of the town, near Lok'ou on the Yellow River. There is also a military college. The whole city is now lighted by electricity. Great activity has recently been evinced in build- ing colleges and schools, and among the interesting institutions of the town the Museum established by the English Baptist Mission should not be overlooked. The sacred mountain of China, T'ai Shan (5,100ft.), is distant some 35 miles (60 by road) to the south. Küfu, the birthplace and the tomb of Confucius, and the residence of the Confucian duke, are about 100 miles away in the same direction. The control of the Settlement is vested in a Bureau whose members are appointed by the Governor of the province.