Directory_and_Chronicle_1938 — Page 1311

TONKIN

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Originally the seat of Annam Kingdom under the Lês, but since 1802 when Gia Long, the first Emperor of the actual Dynasty, the Nguyên, had been enthroned. Tonkin has become a part of Annam Empire under a Vice-Roy. But, in 1897, the Er..peror suppressed the Vice-Roy (Kinh Luoc) and all the powers of this Great Man- darin have been given to the French "Résident Supérieur au Tonkin." It lies between lat. 19 deg. and 23 deg. N. and long. 102 deg. and 108 deg. 30 min. E. bounded on the North, by China, on west by Laos, on the South by Annam, and on the East by the gulf of Tonkin. The country near the sea is a rice alluvial plain; well watered by numerous rivers, it produces large crops of rice and maize, while sugar, cotton, spices, indigo, silk, arecquier, coffee and various other articles are also raised. It possesses valuable mines of tin, lead, antimony, phosphates, coal and zinc, and gold and copper are also known to exist. Concessions were granted in 1887 for the working of coal mines at Kebao and Hongay, and 800,000 tons of coal of good quality from the lastnamed is now exported annually. By the Treaty of Hue, dated June 6th, 1884, the Annamese Government placed Tonkin under French Protectorate, and its affairs are administered under the supervision of French Residents. It is, in fact, now practically a French Colony. Tonkin is divided into 21 provinces, namely: Bac-Giang, Bac-Kan, Bac- Ninh, Ha-Dong, Ha-Nam, Hoa-Binh, Hung-Yen, Kien-Ăn, Lang-Son, Lao-Kay, Ninh Bing, Phuc Yen, Phu-Tho, Quang Yen, Son La, Son-Tay, Thai-Binh, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen-Quang, Vinh Yen, Yenbay; 4 municipalities namely: Hanoi, Haiphong, Nam Dinh, Haiduong, and 4 military cercles: Hai-Ninh, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau. Hanoi, the capital, is the Chief-Town of the province of same name and appears on -old maps as Ke-Sho.

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Although a country newly colonised, Tonkin has several modern plants, such as the manufactures of cement, glass-ware, cotton spinning and rice mills, match, soap leather and spirits, etc.

The population of Tonkin is over 8,700,000 chiefly Annamese, who live in the deltas, while the mountains are inhabited by different tribes, very picturesque in their attire and habits, such as the Thos, Meos, Man, Muong, etc.

A splendid scenery is to be watched by tourists in Tonkin, especially in the beautiful Bay of Along, the hilly region, the Babe lakes, etc. Mention must not be omitted that Tonkin is the cross way to. Yunnan, where the town of Yunnanfu is reached by the French railway line. Shipping services link the port of Haiphong with Hongkong and Saigon, while air lines connect Hanoi, on one part with Vientiane, Bangkok and Paris, on the other part, with Canton and the East of China.

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