Directory_and_Chronicle_1934 — Page 837

CHANGSHA

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The surrounding country is hilly and picturesque, especially on the west bank of the river, where the Yoluhshan rises some 900 ft, high. This hill, called "Yo Foothills," connected by its name with the great Nan-yo or "Southern Peak," is not actually connected with the Peak in its physical geography, though the Buddhist monastery on its slope is within the Nan-yo diocese. Near the top ridge is a replica of the famous Yu Tablet, which purports to be a monument raised by the Great Yü, in the third millennium B.C., in commemoration of his having redeemed the flooded lands of those days. The original stands on the most southern ridge of the "Southern Peak," which is a range of hills 20 miles long. The original is, however, a 'shameless fraud which cannot be dated earlier than the twelfth century A.D. The whole story of anyone in those very early days having any knowledge of the country as far south as Hunan is baseless legend and not historically authenticated fact. The hill, however, retains some sanctity from the legend and has a Confucian college at its base, a Buddhist temple in the centre of the slope, and a Taoist shrine on its ridge-hence the name of the Hill of the Three Religions." The College boasts the possession of some very fine Chou dynasty bronzes and also some autograph writings of the celebrated scholar, Chu Hsi, who was connected with the college in the twelfth century. Near the Buddhist mo nastery, the trees are exceptionally tall and large. The whole slope here is well- wooded, and in the spring (when the azaleas are in flower) or autumn (when the leaves are of all tints) the scenery is of great beauty. From the balcony of the Taoist temple a commanding view of the southern stretches of the Siang on one side, and on the other a bird's-eye view of the whole city of Changsha and of the intervening island are obtainable.

One of the finest buildings inside the city is a memorial temple to Tseng Kuo-fan, In the beautiful gardens of this temple there is now established a High School and College for girls, the Principal of which, Miss Tseng, who holds the London degree of B. Sc., is the great grand-daughter of the distinguished statesman himself. There is a second memorial temple to Tso Tsung-t'ang, one of the most famous lieutenants of Tseng Kuo-fan. There is also a temple on one of the western streets to Chia I, the most celebrated scholar of his day, who died in Changsha, B.C. 165. In the temple is a marble settee which is alleged to have been used by Chia I.

Outside the city there is a very fine hospital, which was erected at a cost of $185,000 by a former Yale graduate for the use of the Hunan-Yale Medical College The direction of the hospital is in the hands of a board, composed equally of repre- sentatives of the Hunan gentry and the Yale Mission. The Yale School and College buildings are in the immediate neighbourhood. These are all outside the north gate. Outside the south gate are the famed antimony works of the Huachang Company, which has branch offices in the Woolworth Building, New York. There are two electric-lighting companies.

On the island are to be found the British Consulate and the residences of the indoor Customs and Post Office staffs and of the managers of the Standard Oil, Asiatic Petroleum, British-American Tobacco Companies, Butterfield & Swire and many other mercantile firins.

Many new roads have been built and motor buses now run daily direct to Ningsiang, Yiyang, Changteh and Taoyuan to the Northwest, Hengchowfu, Leiyang, Chenchow and Ichang to the South and to Siangtan and Paoking to the Southwest from Changsha. It is planned that the road to Taoyuan will be extended to Shenchowfu, the road to Ichang extended to Shuichowfu which is the present terminus of the railway from Canton, Kwangtung Province, and the road to Paoking extended to Hungkiang which is near the borders of Kweichow Province, and it is interesting to note it is now possible to travel from Changsha to Canton in four or five days compared with one month to six weeks required until these new roads were built. However, although these roads enable passengers to travel to the main points in the Province quickly, motor lorries are not yet used to any large extent in transporting cargo owing to the cheapness of water transport.

TRADE IN 1932.

Exports were adversely affected by the acute depression in the world's consuming. markets, and business was restricted to minor proportions.