Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 892

MENGTSZ AND YUNNANFU

自 蒙 Mêng-sa

This is a district city in south-east Yunnan, and together with Man-hao, a village on the left bank of the Red River, was opened to trade by the Additional Convention to the French Treaty of Tientsin of the 25th April, 1886, signed at Peking on the 26th June, 1887. The town is two days' journey from Man-hao and about six days' from the frontier of Tonkin at Laokay, and beautifully situated, being built on a cultivated plateau 20 miles long by about 12 miles in breadth, encircled by picturesque. mountains, and is 4,280 feet above the level of the sea. It has a Chinese population of 150,000, but was a place of much more importance before the Mahommedan rebellion, as the numerous well-built temples, many of them now in ruins, still testify. It is, however, a considerable commercial emporium even now, and is becoming an important centre for the distribution of foreigng oods imported via Tonkin. The French Consul hoisted his flag at Mêngtsz on the 30th April, 1889, and the Customs station was opened in the following August.

The climate of Yunnanfu (altitude 6,400 feet) is temperate and good. From October to April, there is very little rain and a good deal of wind, but in June, July, August and September which is the rainy season the rainfall is about 49 inches in a year of heavy rain, and as low as 24 inches when the rains are poor. When the rainfall is as low as the latter figure, there is a drought and the harvests are poor, and when as the first figure there are floods, and the harvest is similarly poor.

TRADE IN 1934

Yunnanfu, where the headquarters of the Mengtsz Customs is now established, is the distributing point for a large hinterland into which long caravans of pack-animals laden with merchandise wind their way over difficult mountain trails. Until Yunnanfu became the "rail-head" of the Yunnan- Tonkin Railway and the terminus for cargo from the interior most of this was handled from the treaty port of Mengtsz itself, but the latter centre is now losing much of its importance in favour of the provincial capital. In addition. to the old trade routes, all the new motor highways radiate from Yunnanfu, bringing this city into closer relationship than ever before with the province adjoining Yunnanfu. During the year under review peace and order were maintained throughout the province, with the exception of one or two minor disturbances; and the crops were excellent on the whole. The trade statistics recorded for the Mengtsz Customs were as follows, according to the value: direct importation from abroad; 8.5 million dollars as against 12.6 million in the preceding year (a 33 per cent. decrease); coastwise importations of Chinese Merchandise, 15.4 million dollars against 15.7 million (a 2 per cent. decrease); direct exportations to foreign countries, 12.7 million dollars as against 20.4 million (a 38 per cent. decrease); and coastwise exportations of Chinese produce, 3.3 million dollars as against 4.2 million (a 21 per cent. decrease). The straightened financial situation and the monetary exchange difficulties of the province hampered the inward trade in high-duty-paying articles; while the lesser production of tin was the principal cause of the considerable decline registered for the value of the outward trade, the important position held by tin in the list of exports may be deduced from the fact that out of a total value of 16 million dollars for the combined (coastwise and foreign) figures for the outward trade, the commodity in question contri- buted 14.3 million dollars. The combined statistics (coastwise and foreign) for exports of tin during the year under review and the preceding year were 68,087