Directory_and_Chronicle_1935 — Page 472

PEI-TAI-HO AND CHINWANGTAO

Peitaiho continues to expand. There are now five associations, namely, Rocky Point Association, East Cliff Association, Temple Bay Association, Lighthouse Point Assocaintion, and the Kung I Hui. An endeavour is being made to arrive at some kind of co-operation between these various sections, whose interests are coinmon, The first desideratuan.is a Sanitary Department serving the whole district comprised in the term "Peitailio Beach." The next necessity is to form some general advisory committee, obviating the necessity of so many diverse forms of control. Voluntary service will have to be replaced by expert advisers, and how to meet this expenditure is a matter for consultation between the four associations and the Kung I Hui. The Kung I Hui is a body of Chinese gentlemen mostly with large local interests: it is registered in the Ministry of Communications as a definite working organisation and has a legal and, to a certain extent, judicial status. It has expended large sums of money in making excellent roads, lined with trees, and intends to throw the whole of the Lotus Hills open as a public park.

Chinwangtao owes its existence as a seaport to the Chinese Engineeering and Mining Company, Ltd. (now amalagamated with the Lanchow Mining Company under the little of The Kailan Mining Administration). It serves primarily as a port of ship- ment for Kaiping coal.

Chinwangtao is situated on the western coast of the Gulf of Liao and is distant about 10 miles W.S.W. of Shanhaikwan. The breakwater and pier forming the harbour are so constructed that vessels may lie alongside at any state of the tide and in all weathers, discharging from or loading directly into railway cars, so that there is the minimum of handling and loss by breakage. The Administration owns large areas of land in the vicinity of the port. A good harbour, good water, electric light, and cheap coal offer exceptional inducements for industrial enterprises, and it is expected that there will be a great development in this direction.

The Port of Chinwangtao is accessible throughout the year, and as a seaside health resort Chinwangtao is almost without rival in China. It is easily accessible, has a dry and bracing clinate, offers safe bathing from a sandy beach, has good golf links, and is situated amidst magnificent mountain scenery, while a Rest House and numerous summer bungalows afford the visitor every comfort. Extensive improvements in the port were made during 1929 A portion of the lagoon has been reclaimed for the extension of the coal-yard A school for the benefit of the children of the Kailan Mining Adininistration's employees has been built, as well as additional quarters for the staff; and a new power house to meet the requirements of the Yao Hua Glassworks, as well as those of the Administration, was completed towards the end of the year

The Yao Hua Mechanical Glass Company have a glass factory at Chinwangtao. The establishment, which covers about 110 mow of land, is one of the largest of its kind in existence. The capital of the Company is $2,500,000.

TRADE IN 1933.

As Chimwangtao is only about 20 kilometres from Shanhaikwan, where the Great Wall of China reaches the sea on the Jehol and Manchurian frontiers, it will be realised that the port was not too happily situated for purposes of trade during the year under review. On the very first day of the year trouble broke out at Shanhai- kwan between the Japanese garrison and Chinese troops, upon which Japanese reinforcements were brought up immediately from Manchuria, and serious fighting followed, accompanied by a bombardinent of that town from land, sea and air. On the 3d January the Japanese took complete possession of the place, and eventually an armistice was arranged which resulted in the signing of the Tangku Truce Agreement on May 31. Although the war was carried almost to the outskirts of Chinwangtao, actual fighting never extended south of the Pei-Ning Railway, and, thanks to the tact and foresight of the different military commanders and the efforts of the Kailan Mining Administration's agent, no serious incident occurred either during