Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 891

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CHINKIANG

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Chin không

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The port of Chinkiang, which was opened to trade by the Treaty of Tientsin, is situated on the south bank of the Yangtsze River, about 150 miles from its mouth, and near the entrances of the southern and northern sections of the Grand Canal. Formerly this position gave it 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 during the high water season would injure the embankments, is causing the trade to be diverted to Pukow, Tsingtao and Natunghsien. A further reason for the decline in importance of the port is the silting up of the harbour. The Chenjenchow Split to the west of the harbour continues to increase slowly, and two additional splits, one stretching north-west from Consular Bluff and one stretching north-west from Silver Island Bluff, are now forming.

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Chinkiang is one of the pleasantest ports on the river. It is now within five and a half hours railway journey of Shanghai, which enables necessities to be delivered promptly, while the Shanghai papers are received the same afternoon. The surrounding country is very pretty and contains some good shooting. Road development is proceeding apace and motor cars are steadily increasing in numbers.

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

TRADE IN 1931

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The total value of trade passing through the port during the year reached Hk. Tls. 20,432,615 as compared with Hk. Tls. 27,179,534 in 1930 and Hk. Tls. 24,284,928 in 1929. As at all the Lower Yangtsze ports, trade at Chinkiang was much hampered during, the second half of the year by the flood. North of the river, and in the districts between the Grand Canal and the sea, the floods were so serious that nearly all the villages' and farms were inundated. Despite the floods, a good harvest of rice was garnered in the hilly districts, and no importations from abroad took place except for a small consignment from the Dutch Indies for flood relief purposes. The wheat harvests in the earlier part of the year were also excellent, but consignments amounting to 514,835 piculs were nevertheless imported from the United States of America, Canada, and Australia. Most of these wheat importations were for the local mills, where it is found advantageous to mix a percentage of foreign wheat with the native grain. A certain amount of foreign wheat flour was also imported 22,700 piculs. The flood interfered to some extent with the road development schemes in the neighbourhood of Chinkiang, although a certain amount of progress was made, particularly in the earlier part of the year. No conser- vancy work was undertaken during the year under review, but in this con- nexion it may be noticed that the exceptional flow of water in the Yangtsze hastened the process of erosion on the north side of the river to such a degree that the bank has receded to the extent of about 2 cables length since the last survey was made in 1930.