Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 787

WENCHOW

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after the style of Hunt's Block, Guy's Hospital, and can accommodate about 200 patients. Among the objects of greatest interest and curiosity are two pagodas situated on Conquest Island, abreast of the city. They are both of great antiquity, and the temples between them were for some time the retreat of Ti Ping, the last Emperor of the Sung dynasty, when seeking to escape from the Mongols under Kublai Khan. His Majesty Ti Ping has left behind him autographs preserved to this day in one of the temples. A few members of the Customs staff occupy foreign- built houses on the island. There were Boxer troubles in the Pingyang district several Christians being murdered, in 1900, and all the missionaries left Wenchow, where, however, the officials were able to maintain order. During the summer months some of the foreign residents repair to the Northern Hills (), across he river where several bungalows have been built.

There is no foreign settlement at Wênchow, and the foreign residents are a mere handful, consisting entirely of officials and missionarics. There is a consider- able native export trade in tea, bitter oranges, tobacco, timber, charcoal, bamboos and kittysols, but manufactures do not flourish, though some excellent floor-matting and cross-stitch work are produced by local factories. The firms engaged in the timber trade are located in the west suburb, where are also the timber yards. Immense quantities of timber and bamboos are kept on hand.

During August and September of 1912 two abnormal freshets occurred in the Wênchow river, causing immense destruction of life and property. In the upper reaches of the main river the water rose 60 feet above normal level, washing away villages and carrying away houses bodily. Some 30,000 people are reported to have been drowned in the Yungchia, Chingtien, Ch'uchow and Juían magistracies. Such a calamity was unprecedented within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. Two particularly severe typhoons in the summer of 1920 caused enormous damage in the neighbourhood. Haimen, a neighbouring city, about 85 miles by sea north-east of Wenchow, was partially destroyed on July 15th by a tidal wave with great loss of life; while in the Nanchi River valley, opposite Wenchow, an equally large loss of life was reported in the second typhoon between September 4th and 6th. In August 1923 and 1926 this port was visited by severe typhoons, although they did not cause much damage either afloat or

ashore.

TRADE IN 1935

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The port of Wenchow continues to lose much of its erstwhile 'importance as an entrepot for the district both as regards trade and shipping, as pointed out in previous reports, the tendency continues for merchandise to find its way both inwards and outwards through near-by places where Customs interport duty is not leviable. Direct foreign trade continues to be negligible, consisting merely of some sugar, kerosene, and sundries, the majority representing seizures of smuggled goods; while exports include salted vegetables and preserved eggs shipped by junk to Hongkong and Formosa respectively. Coastwise importations of Chinese merchandise were valued at 7.1 million dollars as against 6.5 million for 1934 and include such items as yellow beans, raw cotton, and cotton yarn. Rice and wheat flour were imported in reduced quantities owing to the favourable harvests. Coastwise exports of Chinese produce were valued at 5.4 million dollars as compared with 5.5 million dollars, kittysols contributing 20.07 per cent.: 3rd. quality paper, 11.65 per cent.; charcoal, 8.42 per cent.; tea of all kinds, 5.32 per cent.; tea oil, 5.75 per cent. wood oil, 4.33 per cent. ; and leaf tobacco, 4.32 per cent.; various sundries making up the total. Owing to the steady diversion of trade with Shanghai, Ningpo, and Amoy to Juian, the "back-door" of Wenchow, there was a decrease in shipping registered of 10,580 tons as compared with 1934. Owing to the local monetary depression, the number of local money shops diminished from 32 to 18. Two new motor roads were completed during the year-one running from Kiangshan(), in the southwest of the province, to Pucheng (), in Northern Fukien. and the other from Lung- chuan (), in the south, to the same terminus. Owing to the shallowness of water at the North. Gate of the city, where the wharf of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company is situated, the company are now building a new wharf at the East Gate, where a minimum depth of 24 feet of water at low tide is assured.