Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 941

ICHANG

昌宜 I-Chang

Ichang is one of the four ports opened to foreign trade on the 1st April, 1877, in accordance with Clause 1, Section 3, of the Chefoo Convention. It is situated in lat. 30° 43.4' N., long. 111° 12.8' E., on the north bank of the river Yangtze, about 363 miles above Hankow, and some five miles below the entrance to the great Ichang Gorge, or just about 1,000 miles from the coast. The navigation of the river to this port is comparatively easy for vessels of light draught and has in recent years been rendered easier by the labours of the Customs River Department, which has marked every crossing and established numerous aids to navigation. The anchorage is off the left bank, opposite the foreign residences, and is good, except in freshets, when the an- chors should be sighted every two or three days. The port is the centre of a hilly country, the productions of which are rice in the valleys, cotton on the higher grounds, winter wheat, barley, and also the tungtzu trees, from which the ordinary wood oil is obtained by pressing the nuts gathered from the trees. In the sheltered valleys, amongst the mountain ranges west of the city, oranges, lemons, pomeloes, pears, plums, and a very superior quality of per- simmons are grown, and find a ready market in the city and at Shasi. The importance of Ichang is chiefly that of an emporium for goods in transit to and from Chungking. Most of the cargo for the latter port is landed here and transfered to steamers. Steam navigation is now practicable for the lar- ger vessels from the middle of April to the end of November and for the smaller vessels throughout the year. The rates for foreign passengers are much higher than on the lower Yangtsze. In view of the enhanced traffic, aids to navigation and rules of the road through the gorges have become urgent, and have been for some years undertaken by the Government, with three River Inspectors functioning between Chungking and Ichang. The up- ward voyage to Chungking now takes four days, and the return trip about two days. The survey of the railway to Chengtu has been completed, but construction has been delayed. The estimated Chinese population of Ichang is 112,309.

TRADE IN 1931.

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Despite continual firing on steamers on the middle and lower stretches of the Yangtze River and the frequent ravaging of towns in the Yangtze and Siang River valleys by Communist forces, Ichang remained undisturbed and passed peaceful in year. The same may be said of the towns on the Upper Yangtze and Szechuan generally for which Ichang is the trade gateway and transhipping centre. From a political point, of view, therefore, local conditions have been unusually suitable for trade, and it is to be the more regretted that the acute financial depression, due to over-taxation, from which the province of Szechuan is suffering proved a retarding element. Shipping experienced a lean year as trade on the upper river has been partially driven away by over taxation in Szechuan and goods are finding their way in and out of Western Szechuan and Yunnan via Canton and French Indo-China. Tonnage was considerably in excess of demand, especially on the upper river, but ships were, nevertheless, kept running. A large number of Upper River pilots are unemployed owing to withdrawal of shipping due to the anti-Japanese boycott and poor tradeTheir original scale of pay has not been increased. British steamers cannot work cargo at Wanhsien, The first half of 1932 has been disastrous for Upper River ship-

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