Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 888

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HANKOW

west and skirting the northern edge of the range of hills already mentioned comes th river Han, narrow and canal-like, to add its quota, and serving as one of the highwa of the country; and to the north-west and north is an extensive treeless flat, so littl elevated above the river that the scattered hamlets which dot its surface are, withod exception, raised on mounds, probably artificial works of a now distant age. A strea or two traverse its farther part and flow into the main river. Carrying his eye to th right bank of the Yangtsze one sees enormous lakes and lagoons both to the north-wes and south-east sides of the hills beyond the provincial city."

The port was opened to foreign trade in 1861, and was visited by Mr. (afterward Sir) Robert Hart in that year in connection with opening a branch of the Imperisu Customs. The British and other Bunds lave many imposing buildings on the water front. The new five-storey building of the International Banking Corporation on th British Bund, extensive godowns, etc., belonging to Messrs. Butterfield & Swire hav been built and the Asiatic Petroleum Company have also constructed large premise on the lot immediately to the north of the Commissioner's house. The latter was dig mantled in 1924, and the oldest landmark on the British Bund has thus been removed The British Bund, indeed, is rapidly becoming the banking and business centre of th Concessions, and as time progresses will cease to be a quarter for private residence. It predicted that this tendency will increase, and it is expected that a foreign residentia centre will be developed to the west of the racecourse and that godown accommodation will continue to be provided and occupy sites on which private residences nove stand on the river-front in so far as the needs of river steamers are concerned; bu in regard to ocean-going steamer traffic it will probably be convenient to make provision for future requirements by establishing wharves and godowns in the vicinity of Seven Mile Creek. The question of reclaiming about 100 feet of fore shore and extending the Hankow bund accordingly remains in abeyance. The bank which has formed of late years along the face of the Bund wall would render reclama tion work easy and comparatively inexpensive; but there is a divergence of opinion respecting the disposition of the land reclaimed, should the scheme eventually materi- alise, and the proposal to erect godowns on the river-front has not been favourably received in some quarters. In many respects the Hankow bund is the finest in the East, and in point of length is probably unsurpassed; the desire to avoid interfering with its present amenities is therefore intelligible; but, on the other hand, it should be understood that as Hankow is purely a business centre the requirements of shipping and the establishment of adequate godown facilities are of paramount importance, and measures calculated to improve existing conditions in this respect deserve favourable consideration. The new Custom House was completed at the close of the year 1922, and is located in an imposing position at the Southern end of the British Bund--admittedly. the finest site in Hankow-and the building is in every respect worthy of the site. The fact that it has been re-constructed on such extensive lines may be taken as an index, states the Commissioner of Customs in his Annual Report for 1922, of the -confidence reposed in the future development and prosperity of Hankow as the foremost trade centre of Mid-China. Its principal architectural features comprise a lofty tower and colonnade in modern Renaissance; the columns on each of the three main facades extend to the full height of the three upper floors and support the. entablature resting on a boldly rusticated lower story. The principal facade faces the Bund and has the main entrance on the first floor, approached by a broad and dignified flight of steps. On the central axis of this frontage the tower-152 feet high-appears; its distinguishing feature is a turret-clock, with four dials of 10 feet diameter each, and fitted with Westminster chimes. This clock is synchronised daily with Sikawei Observatory time by means of a receiving wireless apparatus, and the Chinese and foreign communities of the Wu-Han cities are thus provided with accurate zone time.

The Bund affords a very fine and pleasant promenade, and has an imposing appearance from the river. There are a large Roman Catholic and small Protestant and Greek churches, the last-named a rather handsome structure built by the Russian residents. Several brick-tea factories owned by Russians are located in the Settle- ment, all of which were closed early in the War and have not been re-opened. France, Russia and Japan have since 1895 acquired concessions along the river front. The British concession has been extended, but the Russian concession was taken over by the local authorities on November 1st, 1920, and placed under the control of the Chinese chief of police of Hankow. The French, Japanese and British have Municipal Councils. Thus while there was formerly a bund of only half a mile in length in front of the British concession, there is now a continuous line of concessions