Directory_and_Chronicle_1935 — Page 852

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CANTON

highest landmark in the city, and from which a complete bird's eye view of the latter can be obtained. At the foot of the Kan Yin Hill is the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, a most beautiful piece of architecture for which the same engineer that planned the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum at N'king was responsible. Canton contains great attractions for foreign visitors in its numerous temples, pagodas, etc., and in the many curio shops to be found there. The French Mission have a large and handsome Gothic cathedral, with two lofty towers surmounted by spires, in the city. The structure is built entirely of dressed granite. A Mint, constructed by the late Viceroy Chang Chih-tung, near the East Gate, and furnished with a very complete plant, commenced work in 1889, and now issues both silver dollars and subsidiary coins, all bearing a picture of the late Dr. Sun Yat-sen in front and large Chinese characters surrounded by a design of a crop of grain on the back. The buildings cover a large area. On the opposite side of the river is the island of Honam which was linked with the city proper by a bridge across the river that was opened to traffic early in 1933. Motor roads are also being constructed on this island. The principal attractions for the tourist in Honam are the grounds of Lingnam University (formerly the Canton Christian College and the Honam Temple Monastery (Hoi Tong Temple ). The spacious compound of the latter, which was well-known as one of the "Five Great Monasteries".

Ng Tai Chung Sam-has since been turned into a municipal park of exceptional beauty. In the vicinity one may also see native industries such as the firing, sorting and sifting of tea, the preserving of ginger, and the picking of rattans, cassia etc. The founding of bells, the manufacture of fire crackers, and the dyeing of paper and cotton fabrics are three of the chief industries of Fat- shan, some ten miles from Canton to which it is connected by rail. Because of political disturbances in recent years there has been a tendency for many of these industries to transfer to Hongkong, but now on account of the heavy import duties into China there is a movement in the opposite direction. There. are large glass-works at Fatei, and paper-milis--these with up-to-date Euro- pean machinery-near the village of Impo. At Shekwan, seven miles from Fatshan, are extensive potteries. Much has been done during the past few years to develop home industrics. New factories have sprung up like mush- rooms. At Honam an up-to-date cotton-spinning factory, equipped with modern machinery, has been erected by a local company with a capital of $5,000,000. Canton has now five large factories and several hundred workshops for producing hosiery and underwear. Locally-made matches are exported as far as the Straits Settlements, nearly twenty factories being engaged in this industry. The population of Canton was estimated: at 812,241 by the Customs authorities in 1929.

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When the foreign merchants returned to Canton to establish trade after the capture of the city by the English at the close of 1857, they found the factory and the buildings along the river in ruins. Recourse for accommoda- tion was consequently had to warehouses on the Honam side of the river. Considerable discussion subsequently took place as to the selection of a site for a permanent British settlement, and it was eventually determined that an extensive mud flat known as Shameen should be filled in and appropriated. In 1859 an artificial island was created there, a canal constructed between the northern side of the site and the city, and solid and extensive embankments of masonry built. It took about two years to complete this undertaking, and cost $325,000. Of this sum four-fifths were defrayed by the British, and one- fifth by the French Government, to whom one-fifth of the reclaimed land was given. Up to 1889 most of this French concession remained unutilised, but in that year a number of lots were sold and are now built upon. The French also received a grant of the old site of the Viceroy's Yamên, on which the Catholic Cathedral now stands. Shameen is pleasingly laid out with gardens and tennis courts, and the paths are shaded with well-grown trees. Christ Church (Church of England) stands at the western end and close to it are situated the Masonic Hall, Boat House and Club. Handsome new premises, costing half-a-million dollars, for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Cor- poration were opened in Central Avenue on October 29th, 1921. There is a