Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 414

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CHOSEN-SEOUL

length of railways at the beginning of 1931 was 1748 miles. (Fusan-Antung, 590 miles: Keijo-Kainei, 520 miles: Taiden-Mokpo, 160 miles: etc.). Water- works have been provided by the Government in Seoul and at 28 other places. The total population of Corea at the end of March, 1930, was 19,331,061, of whom 18,784,437 were Corean, 488,478 were Japanese and 58,146 were foreigners (including Chinese.)

SEOUL

The old city of Han-yang, better known to foreigners as Seoul (the native term for capital), lies in 37 deg. 30 min. N. lat., and 127 deg. 4 min. E. long, and is situated almost in the centre of the province of Keiki (Kyeng-ki), on the north side and about 35 miles from the mouth of the river Han, which. since the inclusion of the suburb of Ryuzan within the city limits, has become its southern boundary. Formerly the city was surrounded by crenelated walls of varying height, averaging about twenty feet, with arched stone bridges spanning the water-course. The crumbling remains of these walls still cling picturesquely to the hills at various points outside the city, and two of the largest gates, the South Big Gate (Nandaimon) and the East Big Gate (To- daimon) have been preserved as monuments in situ. The modern city has overflowed to the river for over two miles beyond Nandaimon, Seoul Station, the Severance Medical Missionary Hospital and an increasingly busy section of the town lying south of this former boundary. The old city was divided into two nearly equal portions by a long main Street (the modern Shoro), running east and west, the King's Palace and more important public build- ings being situated in the northern half, which was divided into east and west quarters by a road intersecting the main street at right-angles, the point of intersection being marked by a pavilion, the Chong Kak ("Bell Kiosk"), containing a large bell, about seven feet high. This spot was re- garded as the centre of the city, and from it a further road bore off to the south and south-west, leading to the Nandaimon. All these roads have been widened and improved, the present Nandaimon-dori being a fine highway nearly 120 feet wide. The principal thoroughfare of the city now is the great Taihei-dori. running from the Nandaimon northward to the palatial build- ings of the Government-General, situated in front of the old Imperial Palace. This thoroughfare intersects the Shoro somewhat to the west of the old centre, and to the south of and parallel to Shoro another wide thoroughfare has been driven from in front of the City Office on the Taihei-dori eastwards (Kogane- machi). About midway between this Kogane-machi and the South Gate along the Nandaimon-dori there is a fine square, where stand the Central Post Office, the Dai Ichi Ginko, the great Mitsukoshi Department Store and other im- portant buildings. This is the Japanese shopping centre, many of the important Japanese firms of grocers, caterers, etc., having branches in and around Honmachi, the very typically Japanese shopping street that branches off from this square. On the opposite side, running back to the Northwest past the Chosen Hotel into Taihei-dori in front of the city Office, is another broad thoroughfare, calied Hasegawa-cho. In this central part of the city the roads, public buildings and shops can bear favourable comparison with any of the great towns of Japan proper. Many other roads have been made and widened in different parts of the city, particularly in the vicinity of the new Imperial University, which lies in the north-east and was opened in May, 1926. The work of town-planning. the making of parks and so forth, is pur- sued regularly each year, though somewhat hampered at present by lack of funds. Lastly, mention must be made of the steep hill of Nansan, which dominates the city to the south, half-way up the slope of which the Japanese

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