Directory_and_Chronicle_1934 — Page 807

KIUKIANG

江九 Kiú-kiang

Kiukiang is situated on the river Yangtsze near the outlet of the Poyang Lake, and was formerly prefectural city of the province of Kiang-si. It is distant about 142 geographical miles from Hankow and 454 miles from Shanghai. Kiukiang, before the Rebellion, was a busy and populous city; but it was occupied by the Taiping rebels in 1853, and before it was given up to the Imperial troops was almost entirely destroyed. When the Foreign Settlement was established there, however, the population soon returned, and has continued to increase rapidly: it is now estimated at 80,000. The city wall has been pulled down, and a maloo has been built in its place.

The city is built close to the river, along the banks of which the walls run for some- 500 yards. Their circumference is about five miles, but a portion of the space enclosed is still unoccupied. The city contains no feature of interest. There are several large lakes to the north and west of it, and it is backed by a noble range of hills a few miles distant, amongst which is Kuling, some 3,600 feet high, the well-known suinmer resort, and the existence of which, within 24 hours' of the port, gives Kiukiang a high position among the Treaty Ports. The former foreign Settlement lies to the west of the city and is neatly laid out. It possesses a small bund lined with trees, a club, and a Roman Catholic cathedral. Since the end of 1927 the foreign settlement has been under control of the Chinese authorities, and a new residential and business district, close to but outside the city, is slowly coming into being. Aeroplanes on the Shasi-Hankow run pass through here daily except on Monday-up plane about 2 p.m. and down plane about 9 a.m.

During 1921 a system of drainage of approved foreign style was initiated. Pinhing- chow now comprises either in or adjacent to it the following prominent buildings: the railway station and godowns, the electric-light power-house, the Yu Sung Match Factory, the Kiuhsing Spinning and Weaving Company's factory, and a large four- storied hotel.

TRADE IN 1932

The year 1932 inherited in the province of Kiangsi a grievous legacy of distress left behind by flood calamity and the bandit-communist depredations of the old year, and the port of Kiukiang was thus sadly handicapped at the start. Consequently trade could not thrive under such conditions, and the worst of it was that the disturbed condition of the country was not all that had to be contended against, for business had to bear extra taxation to support the military campaign against the communists and was hampered by regulations and restrictions regarding the inove- ment of supplies into the bandit-infested areas. The total value of direct foreign imports, as compared with the previous year, decreased by 1.8 million Haikwan taels. to 2 million taels. This decline is easily enough accounted for considering the activities of bandit-communist forces, the embargo oil supplies to the area covered by such activities, the impoverishment of the people by these activities and the flood of the previous year, the extra taxation, and the poor export business. However, there was an increase for direct exports to abroad, but exports to Chinese ports show a decline of 5.8 million taels in value.