Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 822

SOOCHOW

州蘇 Sú-chau

Soochow, until 1912 the capital of the province of Kiangsu, lies about 80 miles west by water and 54 by rail and a little north of Shanghai, with which it is connected by excellent inland water-ways. The Shanghai-Nanking Railway supplies still better connection. The city is a rectangle, its length from north to south being three and a half miles and its width from east to west two and a half, the total circumference being about 10 miles. It lies not far from the eastern shore of the great Taihu lake. Past its walls runs the southern section of the Grand Canal, which joins Hangchow to Chinkiang; and in every direction spread creeks or canals, affording easy communica- tion with the numerous towns in the surrounding country. It is an important manu- facturing centre, with a population of nearly 200,000 (according to census taken in 1929). Its two chief manufactures are satins and silk embroideries of various kinds. In addi- tion, it sends out silk goods, yarn, matches, scented tea, and articles in iron, ivory, wood, horu, and glass, and rape seed.

Before the Taiping rebellion Soochow shared with Hangchow the reputation of being the finest city in China, but it was almost entirely destroyed by the rebels, who captured it on 25th May, 1860. Its recovery by Major (afterwards General) Gordon on 27th Nov., 1863, was the first effective blow to the rebellion. Since that disastrous period it has recovered itself greatly and is once more populous and flourishing, though it has not yet attained to its former pitch of prosperity. It was declared open to foreign trade on September 26, 1896, under the provisions of the Japanese Treaty. The Foreign Settlement is under the southern wall of the city, just across the Canal, and is a strip of land about 1 mile long and a quarter of a mile broad. The Government has made a good carriage road along the Canal bank extending the whole length of the settlement and as far as the railway station, a distance of five and a half miles. The care of roads has been entrusted to the Soo- chow Construction Bureau, which, during 1930, made a radical improvement in construction and widening of roads especially inside city. But there are many wooden bridges on the road leading from the Custom House-at the outside south-east corner of the city-to the railway station which are badly in need of repair and cannot stand heavy traffic, so that motor cars or trucks are still not permitted to run.

A new Y.M.C.A. building was opened in December, 1921. The Chinese and European school dates back to 1900. With a view to promoting local industries, an exhibition of domestic products was held in November 1930 and lasted three weeks, thousands of spectators being attracted daily to the exhibition ground.

On new year's day 1931, a new city gate named "Chin Mên" (), replacing the Hsin Chang Mên and a little to the south of it, was open to traffic. The city of Soochow has thus, in addition with the newly built "Ping Mên" (T), eight city- gates, much to the convenience of the travelling public.

TRADE IN 1930

The partial recovery of trade at Soochow since 1929 was attributable to the compara- tive peace which reigned in this region. Owing to the cold weather, the spring crop of cocoons was a poor one, both in quality and quantity. To make good the shortage the autumn crop was reared on a much more extensive scale than in any previous year, and the venture met with considerable success. The insufficient stock of cocoons, coupled with frequent threats of labour disputes, compelled two filatures to close down while the two which remained in operation, under Japanese management, had to import some 1,000 piculs of cocoons froni Tsingtao to keep working without interruption. American and Indian raw cotton to a total of 13,220 piculs, were imported for use in the only cotton mill which continued to work in full swing with considerable success throughout the year, following its reorganisation and alteration in 1928. Artificial silk disppeared from the returns, but it is estimated that considerable quantitics arrived