Directory_and_Chronicle_1931 — Page 951

CHINKIANG

江鎮

Chin Giáng

The port of Chinkiang, which was opened to trade by the Treaty of Tientsin, is situated on the south bank of the Yangtszé, about 150 miles from its mouth, and near the entrances of the southern and northern sections of the Grand Canal. This position gave it formerly great importance, and it was at one time believed that the port must eventually become a serious rival to Shanghai. But the neglect of the inland waterways, and especially of the Grand Canal, which is closed to steam traffic for some months during each year, either because the water is too shallow or because the wash from launches would injure the embankments, is causing the trade to be slowly diverted to Hankow and Tsingtao. Now that the Tientsin- Pukow Railway is completed trade is. being diverted to Nanking. A railway from Kuachow, at the mouth of the Grand Canal on the north bank of the river, along the Canal to Tsingkiangp'u, is projected and may do something to save the situation, but there are 14 tax barriers along this route, and it remains to be seen whether this railway, if built, will not have the same difficulty with the likin officials as is now experienced by the Shanghai-Nanking Railway. The silting of the harbour continues but the Chenjenchow split and the erosion of the north bank of the Yangtze have been less pronounced the last two years.

Chinkiang is one of the pleasantest ports on the river. It is now within a few hours railway journey of Shanghai, which enables necessities to be delivered promptly, while the Shanghai morning paper is received the same afternoon. The surrounding country is very pretty, and there is fair shooting, including wild pig. Long-distance telephones were installed towards the end of 1920 and there is now connection from Chinkiang with Shiherhwei, 45 li; Yangchow, 60 li; Siennümiao, 72 li; Shaopo, 80 li; and Kaoyü, 147 li. Recently, connection by telephone has been established with Shanghai and Nanking. The Chinkiang-Tangshan section of the automobile road between Chinkiang and Nanking was completed during 1922, and through traffic is now possible between this town and Nanking. Further, the Yangchow-Chiahsingchiao section (some 10 miles) of the Kuachow-Tsingkiangpu automobile road was completed in December, 1922. The motor road leading from the railway station to Golden Island was begun in 1929, and the construction of another road leading from the station to the Bamboo Grove Temple-one of the beauty spots of this district, lying some miles to the south of the city-is in contemplation. A hos- pital built on modern lines was opened by the provincial government on the 11th October, 1929.

The British Concession was formerly handed over to China on 15th November, 1929, and all undertakings of the former British Municipal Council, such as electric light and waterworks, have been taken over by Chinese companies who now supply the former concession with water and electric power from their installations in the city.

TRADE IN 1929

Conditions at Chinkiang during 1929 were more peaceful and better ordered than for many years past, albeit a considerable decrease in the net value of merchandise coming under the cognizance of the Maritime Customs has to be recorded. The dis- Atrict suffered for the second year in succession from drought, and swarms of locusts devoured what the drought had spared. Tonnage calls for very little remark. But so keen was the competition amongst steam-launch companies for passenger trade that little profit appears to have resulted, and a more serious outcome of this competition was the risk to which the lives of passengers were often subjected. There were no striking features in the import trade, and that the export trade did not decline still further was due to a compensating activity in certain commodities unaffected by climatic conditions. Sesamum seed, due to the establishment of a local plant for clean- ing the seed, advanced considerably, while matches and cement from the local factories gave promise of a hopeful future for these industries.