Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 780

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HANGCHOW

impressive size. Several hotels, in semi-foreign-style, have been opened, including one near the City Railway Station and others near the Public Garden on the Lake, besides one with western accommodation on the lake-shore near the Imperial Island. A fine Y.M.C.A. building was completed early in 1920. The excursions around Hang- chow are numerous and extraordinarily picturesque; and any person who can allow a month for the trip should not fail to explore the rapids of the Ch'ien-t'ang River as far as the Anhwei border. The green crystalline water and constant alternation of gorges and park-like rolling country, the lofty heights, heavily afforested right down to the sandy banks with every variety of conifer, camphor tree, scrub oak, maple, tallow tree, bamboo, etc., combine to form a series of landscapes scarcely equalled in Japan. Sport of all kinds is to be had in profusion, including excellent fly-fishing.

The site selected for the Foreign Settlement extends for half a mile along the east bank of the Grand Canal; it covers over half a square mile and is four miles from the nearest point of the city wall. The Japanese Settlement adjoins it on the north and is about the same size. The Custom-house and Commissioner's and Assistants' residences are built on the Customs Lot, and there is also a Chinese Police Station in a modern building. The Hangchow Electric Light Company has erected outside the Kên Shan Mên a large installation for the supply of current to the suburbs.

Some three or four miles south-west of Hangchow city lies the rising little town of Zakow, situated upon the Ch'ien-t'ang River at the railway head. The Socony- Vacuum Corporation, the Asiatic Petroleum Co., and several missionary establishments (including a large College) have their headquarters here. For residential purposes the hilly sites in the vicinity, overlooking the broad estuary and open to the sea breezes, afford far more sanitary locations than the low-lying malarial Settlement 10 miles away.

Halfway between Hangchow and Shanghai is Kashing, where the Grand Canal joins the Whangpoo River on which Shanghai is situated. Kashing is a Customs Sta- tion under Hangchow and was first opened in 1898 for collecting duties on foreign opium, owing to the fiscal arrangements being against the collection at Hangchow.

A railway from the Settlement to the further end of Hangchow City near the Ch'ien T'ang river was completed in September, 1907. It was built solely by Chinesə and with Chinese capital. There is now railway connection with Shanghai vid Kashing. Twenty-eight miles north of Hangchow is situated the well-known summer resort of Mokanshan which is now connected with the motor road leading from Hangchow to Nanking and it can be reached in one hour's time from Hangchow. Special bus service is also maintained along this line during the hot season. It can be reached from Shanghai by way of the railway and a motor-launch service in ten hours. There are now over 500 houses on the slope of a hill about 2,250 feet high. The scenery is magnificent and the views are very grand. Bamboo forests cover the mountain and afford shade to all the roads, and clear mountain springs abound. Chairs and coolies for baggage are always available, and are under contract with the Mokanshan Association. Houses more or less completely furnished can be rented. The difference in temperature from the plain amounts to 10° F. in the day and 15° F. at night.

Save for the prevalence of malaria-which, however, is not of a virulen type-the climate of Hangchow is fairly salubrious. July and August are hot, the sptng months are wet and raw, but the autumn is delightful, and the winter is cold and bricing.

TRADE IN 1935

In so far as the Hangchow district is concerned, the Customs take cognizance only of merchandise moving by launch on the Grand Canal, so that, as in the case of other ports in close proximity to Shanghai by road, rail, and junk, the Customs statistics are only partially indicative of the trade of the port. The value of direct foreign imports showed some slight improvement during the year owing to the introduction of Japanese sugar and artificial silk yarn, which have not hither to come under Customs cognizance. Exportations of Chinese merchandise during 1935, on the other hand. showed a decline in value from 12.8 million dollars to 10.6 million. Several factors contributed to this decline; firstly, the total value of exportations of tea fell from 11.6 million dollars to 10 million dollars; secondly, the total value of paper and paperware dropped from $285,802 to $215,774; but it may be noted that the railway played an important part in the transportation of these goods to

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